Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer
by NagimiSonic
Summary: On October 10th X765, the village of Konoha was destroyed by the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia. The Wizard Saint, Minato Namikaze, and his wife Kushina sacrificed their lives to send their newborn son off to an unknown location. The Nine-Tailed Fox, Kurama, finds the child and takes him under his wing. From that day onward, that child's destiny has begun to unfold.
1. Prologue

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Prologue: The Birth of Naruto

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail. All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima.  
**  
Note: This story will contain references to the recent manga chapters of the two series so if you're an anime-only person who doesn't read manga or a manga reader who's far behind in the series, please be AWARE of the spoilers in the story. Thank you and enjoy the story.**

* * *

_Many centuries ago; before the reign of the Dragon Civil War, in a faraway continent, there was a sacred tree that bore a fruit that contained a special type of ethernano known as Chakra. A giant war was raging all over this vast continent at the time, with many causalities and senseless bloodshed, battle raging all day and night with no rest for either side of the war. _

_That was until a princess with two horn-like appendages stuck out of her long light colored hair came across the sacred tree and consumed its fruit; after that, she used her newfound abilities to ultimately stop the war at all sides. __However, many years later, the tree became angered of how the princess stole and ate its fruit so it manifested itself into a monstrous ten-tailed sapient to reclaim its stolen power until the princess' sons confronted it and sealed it away within themselves. As the brothers took their own respective paths on how to teach people to control their chakra in order to connect with one and another, one of those brothers came across the continent of Fiore and witnessed the aftermath of the Dragon Civil War which was the birth of the Black Dragon known as Acnologia. _

_After seeing the dragon fly off, the brother decided to remain in Fiore to continue spreading his teachings to the survivors of the war to establish a balance of peace for non-talented humans and dragons alike; from those teachings, he was given the title: "The Sage of the Six Paths". Eventually, he split the essence of the beast inside him into nine beasts that have tails varying from one to nine tails, starting the trigger to his eventual death. After he created the nine beasts and gave them their individual names; he then removed what was left of the ten-tailed sapient from inside him and sealed it away inside a giant formation of rocks that eventually became the moon when it was hurled into Fiore's orbit._

* * *

_July X765,_

In the village of Konoha within another part of Fiore; the current leader (known as _"Hokage")_ of the village, Minato Namikaze, who is also one of the Ten Wizard Saints of Fiore known by the title: _"The Yellow Flash", _is currently reading a small orange novel with the words "The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi" entitled on the book. As he gets even further into the novel, he is snapped out of his trance by a pat to his shoulder and joyous laughter not far from his ear._  
_

"So I see that you've taken quite an interest in my latest novel," a strong male voice said soon after the laughter instantly stopped, "Although, it didn't get that much sellers as I've hoped for."

Minato turns his head around to see his teacher: A tall man with spiky white hair tied in a ponytail, leaving only two shoulder-length bangs frame the sides of his face. He also has two red lines that run down from his eyes to his cheeks while wearing a horned forehead protector with a short green kimono shirt and pants under a red haori with two circles in the front of it. He also has mesh armor underneath the kimono while he also wears hand guards and wooden sandals on his hands and feet respectively.

"What are you talking about, Jiraiya-sensei?" Minato replied back with a smile as he closes the novel to look directly at his teacher, "I thought it was actually a great masterpiece, worthy of the praise it really deserves."

"Come now, you're just flattering me to help me up from my fluke, Minato." Jiraiya says as he takes a seat in front of the young man.

"Not at all," Minato stated, "When I read every page of this book, I'm always imagining myself in the main character's footsteps as he continues to face all of the confrontations and battles he gets himself into his travels. It also makes me think that it was also inspire from your travels as well, sensei."

Jiraiya's face shows off a giant joyous grin as he hears all of the praise his student is giving his novel to, but what really caught him off-guard was the incoming words Minato is about to say to him:

"Which is why, with your permission, I would like to name my unborn son after the main character of this inspiring tale."_  
_

Jiraiya's eyes widened in shock at his student's request as he can hear his own heart beat from the modest and honest flattery he just received from his student but his heart begins to calm down slowly as Jiraiya begins to reply back.

"Wait, are you sure about this?" Jiraiya questioned, shockingly while waving an embarrassed gesture with his hands, "After all, I just came up with the name while eating ramen," He finished saying with his hands in a chopstick-holding position for eating noodles.

"Naruto... I think it's a wonderful name."

Jiraiya looks behind Minato and straight into the opening to the kitchen as a fiery red-haired woman stepped out of the opening and stood beside Minato as one of her hands rests on top of Minato's shoulder.

"Kushina..." Jiraiya managed to say as the aforementioned woman uses her open hand to rub her bulged stomach, evidently showing the progression of her pregnancy.

"Criminy, then that would make me his godfather, but are you two really sure about this?" Jiraiya excitedly questioned back as he scratched the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Of course," Minato joyfully says, "You are my sensei; there's no other man who possesses the true talents of a ninja and a mage like yourself."

* * *

_October 10th __X765,_

At a chasm outside of Konoha, a young man with short messy black hair dressed in a black high-collared robe with golden trims and a large flowing white toga slowly approaches the rocky chasm with a sadden look as he hears the agonizing and painful screams of a woman within the chasm which sets off a stream of tears to drip down the man's face.

"Despite the anticipation of a new life entering this world, these people won't be living for much longer," the man emotionlessly says to himself as the tears keep dripping down on his face.

A swoosh was made from the rustling of the tree leaves as several kunai were projected towards the young man but they instantly disintegrated just as the metal knifes have reached only a few inches from him. Moments later, several masked men wearing gray flak jackets, black clothing, metal arm guards/gloves, ninja sandals, ninja pouches on their back-waist and swords strapped to their backs appear nearby the man as they all take out their swords.

"Who are you and how did you find this place?" One of the masked men said to the man, wielding his sword in a cautious manner, as the latter looks shocked at their appearance.

All of them dash towards the man when a strange black aura begins to surround the strange man as he begins to panic frantically which causes him to stop crying.

"NO, don't! Stay ba-"

But it was too late; when the men took note of the strange aura surrounding their target, they were already in close proximity and thus they were engulfed by the dark aura, causing them to drop their swords as their skin begins to rot and all of them collapse onto the ground, dead at the man's feet soon after the black aura vanished from the man's presence.

"Why does this always have to happen!? Is taking innocent life by force the only thing my magic knows what to do!?" The man began to shout to himself in agony until suddenly he hears a muted roar in the distance and he looks up to the skies, his eyes changed into the color of blood-red and acquired a black ring in them.

"There's not much time left," the man thought to himself in a serious manner, "Soon, he'll come and he'll destroy this village..."

In the night skies not too far from Konoha, a gargantuan black dragon with small round eyes, a pale gray underbelly, upward-tilted appendages on its head, and strange blue markings all over its body flies above the dark skies, blending in the environment too well as it sets its eyes on the village ahead.

_"The Black Dragon of the Apocalypse, Acnologia..."_

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**After reading so many of good and bad crossovers of Fairy Tail and Naruto, I've decided to take a shot at it after having a sort of idea ready in my head. So, please leave a review so I can know how this story goes so I can find ways to expand onto this story.**

**Thank you for reading.**


	2. Acnologia's Descent: The Beginning

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 1: Acnologia's Descent- The Beginning

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail. All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima.

**Note: Just in case if there's confusion with **_**"mages and shinobis"**_**, I have something in mind that'll explain it soon if it rises. In any case, thank you and enjoy the story.**

* * *

_October 9 X765,_

_Both Minato and Kushina are sitting at the dining room table with the previous Hokage of Konoha, Hiruzen Sarutobi, and his wife as they prepare for the birth of Naruto._

_"I'm sorry that you have to give birth outside of the village," Hiruzen said to Kushina, "but word has gone out about your unborn child and who the father is from not only outside Konoha but all over various parts of Fiore. So it is safe to assume that many enemies of Minato's from various assassination and dark guilds will come to either kidnap or kill the child along with the two of you at your most vulnerable."_

_Kushina turns to look at Minato worriedly until Minato stands from his chair and puts a comforting hand on his wife's shoulder._

_"Don't worry, Kushina, I wasn't given the rank of Wizard Saint and the position of Hokage for nothing," Minato said in a reassuring voice, "I'll be able to take care of watching over you while Naruto is being born. If that's all, I'll go and prepare the defenses to the barrier for the rendezvous point."_

_"Minato..." Kushina looks at her husband worriedly once more until she saw his calm and determined expression that she began to feel more relax._

_"Very well; I will leave the birth of the child to my wife Biwako and Taji from the ANBU and I'll have other ANBU under my control as well to keep the area secured from both assassins and dark mages alike. Now then," Hiruzen begins to finish his instructions, "if anything should come down to the worst, I have an old friend in Magnolia who's willing to come here to help with the operation as well so I have to go outside of Konoha to guide him directly to the rendezvous point."_

_Hiruzen gets up from the table as he heads out of the house to meet with his friend while Minato and Kushina see Biwako get up as well while giving somewhat of a stern look._

_"If you're ready, then I'll lead you to the assigned spot for the child labor. We should leave immediately to lessen the danger that may come upon the child."_

_Kushina nods slowly in agreement as her expression becomes somewhat serious as well, "Alright, let's go._

* * *

_October 10th X765,_

_"WAAHHHHH!"_

"Um.. I've never seen her in so much pain before," Minato nervously stated while he keeps an alert sense to the surroundings for any enemy mages, "Is she really going to be alright?"

"Of course she is! You're supposed to be the Fourth Hokage of Konoha and the Yellow Flash of the Wizard Saints so at least show some backbone and continue sensing for any intruders while keeping the barrier strong!" Biwako bellowed at the young Wizard Saint, making him shiver a little from fear.

As Kushina keeps on pushing their son out while yelling in severe pain, Minato keeps on taking slow and easy breaths to help him calm down from anxiety for Kushina as he channels more of his chakra into the defensive magic barrier.

_"You can do it, Kushina. Just hang in there a little longer."_

_"OOOOOOOOOOOH!"_

"I can see the head, just a little more, Kushina!" Biwako tells Kushina of the labor progress.

_"Almost there, Kushina. Pretty soon, we'll finally be able to meet Naruto..."_

The pained screaming from Kushina kept on going for what seemed to be an eternity until the sound of a baby's wailing was heard all over the room, interrupting Minato's channeling process when he hears the crying.

"He's here; get the hot water now!" Biwako shouts out to Taji

"Yes, ma'm!"

_"He's finally here..." _Minato thinks in his mind calmly but joy starts to fill up all of his thoughts at the moment.

"It's a healthy baby boy!" Biwako confirms to Minato and Kushina as she washes the newborn Naruto in the container of hot water as he continues to wail for the first time outside of Kushina.

"Naruto... We finally get to meet you at last..." Kushina says as she lays on the bed, exhausted as Biwako shows the newborn Naruto to her.

But just as soon as the joyous feeling of seeing the newborn came, it was instantly eradicated as Minato senses a lethal presence inside the rendezvous spot but it was too late to act as Biwako and Taji both fall to the ground, their skin turning gray and rotting as Minato turns to the deadly presence behind the dead bodies of the two ladies to find the same young man with the short messy black hair, looking at the crying Naruto in fascination.

"Who are you and how did you know the location of this place?" Minato calmly asks the stranger who begins to approach Naruto.

"NO! Stay away from him! "Kushina yells at the young man while turning her head to look at the man, weakly.

"This child is still alive..." The young man says in relief, shocking Kushina while making Minato more cautious about the man when he picks up the crying Naruto, "Thank goodness; my magic didn't take this child's life nor yours when I entered this room."

"Thank goodness?" Minato said in confusion, "Just who are you, dark mage?"

Unheard by both Minato and Kushina, a muted roar was heard by not only the mage but also from the inhabitants of Konoha as the dark mage's eyes change again to the menacing red and black ring, surprising both the Wizard Saint and his wife.

"He's almost here..." The dark mage seriously exclaims as he looks upward to the ceiling, making it seem like he's trying to see past the rocky terrain and into the sky.

"Who's here?" Minato gets out one of his curved kunais and prepares to get Naruto out of the mage's grasps when the latter puts Naruto down and looks at both Minato and Kushina with a lethal glare, making both Minato and Kushina almost pass out from the amount of dark magic that is leaking from the mage.

"Take this child and the woman behind you out of here if you want to live," the mage said in an unusual dark tone as he begins to vanish, "If you don't, the Black Dragon will annihilate all of you out with a single breath of his roar."

"Hey, hold on a minute-" Minato throws his special kunai towards the vanishing mage but it phases through him and pins nothing to the wall as the mage fully disappears from the room, "Just who was that and what did he-"

The same roar from before was getting even louder as Minato grabs both Naruto and Kushina and uses his _Flying Thunder God Magic (Hiraishin Mahō)_ to transport them along with himself onto the balcony of the Hokage's office when Kushina and himself look up to the skies to see a gargantuan black dragon with blue tribal markings blending into the night sky as it flies slightly towards Konoha.

"That's..." Kushina began to say in fear.

"I never imagined him to be actually real but there's no doubt on who he is.." Minato cradles Naruto more closer to him as he continues to observe the approaching dragon, "The Dragon King or the Black Dragon as that dark mage described him by: Acnologia..."

**RRAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRR!**

An ANBU appears behind Minato and Kushina as he kneels down to Minato when the Hokage notices his presence.

"Sir, all of the non-magic civilians along with the younger shinobi are being escorted out of the village and being placed into the magic-defense shelter as we speak; what are your orders?"

Minato glances at Kushina who begins to express worry for her husband as the Wizard Saint gives the sleeping Naruto to the tired woman as a white flame-pattern haori with the kanji for "Fourth Hokage" printed on the back appears from pixels of magic that surround Minato seconds later.

"Gather all of the shinobi in the village prepared to face off against the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse; we only need to distract the dragon for a certain amount of time for the civilians and young shinobi to get to the shelter without getting caught in the crossfire." Minato stated in a serious tone as he examines the distance between the village and Acnologia, "I'll try to keep the dragon at bay until the reinforcements are ready."

"Minato, you can't-"

"Also, take Kushina and Naruto to the defense shelter as well while you're at it."

"Yes, Lord Hokage." The ANBU nods his head after hearing his orders as he walks up to Kushina and Naruto in order to take them to the defense shelter until Kushina suddenly stands up and looks at her husband with a mixture of anxiety, anger, and fear in her eyes.

"Minato, you can't possibly think you can hold off a monster such as Acnologia!" Kushina shouts out to Minato, "Even if you're the _Yellow Flash _of the Ten Wizard Saints, no mage or shinobi who faced Acnologia survived in their clash against the dragon! If you die now, then who will be there to help raise Naruto into a strong adult!?"

"Kushina... I know it isn't possible to defeat something like Acnologia with my power. But," Kushina's expression begins to lessen a little as she sees the devotion in his eyes burn even stronger, "I have to give it at least a try if it means that Naruto and the future generation will survive. Even if I don't make it out alive, I know that; despite the disadvantage I may have now.."

Minato turns his eyes to the skies again to see the black dragon descending more closer to the vast village as he mentally strengthens his resolve once more.

"I'm prepared to risk my life for not only this village and this inhabitants but for Naruto's future growth into a excellent mage!"

Kushina glances at the back of her husband, pondering on the words of her husband as the ANBU places his hand on her shoulder to teleport himself, Kushina, and Naruto away from the eventual battlefield. Kushina sees Minato take out another of his special kunai and pushes his arms forward with the kunai in-between his hands as she notices him releasing a lot of his magic and chakra just before she begins to lose sight of him from being whisked away from the battlefield.

* * *

On top of one of the four heads carved into the mountain side of the village, the dark mage observes Minato preparing to face off against the Black Dragon of the Apocalypse while he thinks of how the newborn Naruto managed to live from exposure to his magic while the two midwives didn't.

_"Could the child be..."_ The dark mage ponders in his head as he remembered feeling a strong presence inside of the newborn when he held him. He didn't know why but the presence in the newborn felt so familiar to him.

Eventually, the dark mage came to a realization as to who the newborn really was, _"Yes, he's definitely one of them. Not only is he one of the chosen three beings who's capable of killing me. But he's... **that person's** successor..." _The dark mage began to shed tears of reminiscence when he thought about a old friend he met in the past.

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**I'll admit that there will be times where I feel like I could do better with the characters' speech but I just can't find the right push or words to make it happen. I hope that if that happens, it doesn't make the character a bit off from their original personality. Also, the uploads may be fast or slow, depending on if I'm in the mood to write them due to my university assignments but other than that, I'll should be able to type one more chapter with the planned schedule for the future chapters in mind by the next day.**

**Thanks for reading and please review to help make this story stronger.**


	3. Acnologia's Descent: Parental Sacriface

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 2: Acnologia's Descent- Parental Sacrifice

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail. All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima.

**Note: From this chapter and onward, you can expect some of the upcoming chapters to be a lot more longer since I just started to type/write stories again. Thank you and enjoy the story.**

* * *

_October 10th X765,_

"To think that today's the day when one of Fiore's greatest prodigies is going to be a father," an extremely short old man said as he walks beside Hiruzen on the way back to Konoha after meeting up halfway from Magnolia, "It makes me wonder if the newborn child will be an excellent mage just like his father and mother."

Hiruzen looks to his old friend at his side who wasn't dressed in his typical jester-like outfit: the short old man was in more formal clothing consisting of a white tunic and black pants underneath a regal white coat with white fur around the edges and the sigil of the Ten Wizard Saints printed on the back. To his honesty, he would thought that his friend would actually come to Konoha in more goofier attire but consisting the possible danger that the birth of Minato's child may bring, it was probably for the best.

"I'm sure that the child will be just as talented as both of his parents, but just be careful on your choice of words when you say "mage";remember the last time you came to Konoha and said that?"

"How can I forget about that," the short old man said as he unconsciously shivered from the memory, "Most of the villagers and shinobi were staring at me as if I came from another world or something. Still, I am curious about the difference between "Chakra" and "Ethernano" that Konoha and the other hidden villages has stated about, since some of them don't want to be known as "mages". "

Hiruzen looks up to the night sky and sees the full moon as he ponders on his old friend's curiosity on the separation of both mages and shinobis. He closes his eyes for a brief moment to think of a good answer and lets out a slow exhale as an answer came to him.

"I'm not one to be biased on what I'm referred by when it comes to either mage or shinobi. We are still humans in the end, with powers that lets us be stronger than normal people, talents that makes us fast as the wind itself, or conjure and develop special abilities for various purposes; but I guess that still isn't enough to patch up the similarities of the two branches of mage and shinobi. However, I believe that the source of all of these differences is the fact on how mages see shinobis as individuals who only use their "magic" for lethal assassinations and power alone while shinobis view mages as cowards who are afraid to unleash their true potential unless it's for a worthy cause and they only use their special talents for more peaceful terms."

"Hmm... That was really thought-out, Saru," Hiruzen's friend praised the previous Hokage, "I've thought of similar ideals when it comes to those two different branches of magic but we can't really be human if we were to see everything through the same eyes, difference is what really makes all of us special."

"I couldn't agree more, Makarov-dono. Speaking of mages, how is that guild of yours; any of the mages there cause a ruckus again as usual?"

The short old man's eyes widened in horror when Hiruzen said those words while Hiruzen glances towards his old friend and sees the expression on the man's face, obviously founding the answer that he needed.

"I guess that the Magic Council gave you another of those long lectures aga-"

"Don't get me started with those bunch of fools again! It was bad enough when I had to hear that one of my children accidentally set a building on fire while searching for the client's pet but now I've hear that my most talented child just made several buildings collapse just by walking through them!" Makarov ranted out loud while pulling on the hair that was on the side of his head, causing Hiruzen to be shock at the disastrous incident that Makarov's mage had caused.

"It was that bad, huh..." Hiruzen sweatdropped at the details of the damages Makarov's mages have caused.

"THAT bad!? It was like almost comparing the incident to a raging battle of a rhinoceros and an elephant! The Magic Council already gave me enough complaints about my mages but this incident really blew their top off with me! I swear, just from seeing this much havoc from this generation makes think that the next generation will be even more destructive!"

"You don't say..." Hiruzen said as he chuckled at his friend's dismay about the complaints of the Magic when suddenly, he felt a strong amount of magic and a strong feeling of malevolence heading towards the village of Konoha; causing him to stop in his tracks to figure out the presence of this foul magic while catching his friend's attention.

"Hiruzen, what's wro-" Makarov started to say until he too felt the same presence heading towards Konoha as he felt his short body almost collapsing from the sheer pressure the feeling of malevolence was emitting, "What in blue blazes!? What's with this presence; it's almost as if this feeling is on the intent of finding something that's not supposed to exist!"

"Whatever it is; we have to get to the village now, I can sense Minato's chakra mixing in with his magical energy. Almost like... he's going to face against the being on his own."

"We can't let that happen," Makarov stated with a serious expression staring into the direction of the village, "let's us make haste to assist dear Minato."

The two old man began to pick up the pace and rush towards the village as they can sense Minato's presence beginning to rise up to its fullest extend, completely oblivious to the monstrous threat that has appeared in Konoha.

* * *

The Black Dragon begins to descent down towards the Hokage Monument where Minato teleported himself on one of the heads with his _Flying Thunder God Magic (Hiraishin _Mahō) when Acnologia moves its arm back to crush Minato with its claw but Minato manages to teleport himself away from the attack as the attack instead destroys a portion of the monument. As Acnologia turns its head around after finding a track of Minato's scent, the dark mage from before continues to observe the battle between Minato and Acnologia when he decides to turn away from the battle and begins to leave the village.

_"Without a doubt, that newborn will grow up to be a strong mage one day, just like **him**..." _the dark mage thinks in his head as he continues his way out of the village, _"Now that I've found one of them, it's time for me to find another place to rest, until the time comes for me to seek out the next one." _The dark mage finishes his thoughts as he then phases out of the village, catching the attention of the Black Dragon for a second until Minato reappears above it with a swirling blue sphere of chakra in the palm of his hand.

_"Rasengan!__"_ Minato thrust the sphere on top of Acnologia's head as the force of the attack manages to send Acnologia crashing into the village as Minato teleports himself onto one of the tallest poles in the village as he sees Acnologia recover instantly and ascends back into the sky once more with only minor scratches from the _Rasengan_.

_"The legends precede him, he really is known as the Dragon King if a high-level technique that I devised myself didn't even faze him at all. I need to get away from the village somehow without causing even more damage... But how-"_

Several kunai with explosive tags attached were thrown straight at the giant dragon, engulfing the dragon in a giant explosion as two small platoons of both ANBU and Konoha shinobi appear on the rooftops of the buildings nearby Minato, ready to face off against the black dragon himself with no fear in their eyes.

**RRRAAAWWWRRRRRR!**

The ANBU and shinobi got into battle stances as the black dragon flies out of the smoke created from the explosion, unharmed, while staring down the moderate army with eyes void of emotion.

"Everyone, divert the beast's attention with more explosive kunai! Shikaku, Chōza, Inoichi! Stay by the Hokage's side! We have to get this monster out of the village as soon as possible!"

"SIR!"

Acnologia begins to ascent again to increases its altitude in order to get all of the resisting humans in one diving sweep but Minato and all of the shinobi dashed away from the incoming attack at the last second as the ANBU and the remaining Konoha shinobi threw more explosive kunais to gain its attention while the three mentioned shinobi landed around Minato as they try to create a strategy while they observe Acnologia's savage movements.

"Well now, I would've never imagined we would come face to face with a legendary monster known for its destruction." The plump samurai-like shinobi says as he prepares a hand sign just like his fellow comrades.

"It's a real pain to put a lot of effort against this beast but it seems like we don't have any choice," Shikaku sighs out tiredly as a dark-purple magic circle appears underneath his feet after making the hand sign for "rat", "It's time to get to work, right Minato?"

"Right; Inoichi-san, keep a track on the dragon's ethernano! Shikaku-san, Chōza-san; get ready to use your _Shadow Imitation Magic (Kagemane _Mahō) and _Multi-Size Magic (Baika _Mahō) on my signal!"

As the four of them wait to initiate their plan; Acnologia was beginning to swat away the weaker Konoha shinobi with ease while the remaining of the ninja and the ANBU continue their assaualt of explosive kunais along with various forms of magic but it still doesn't bring any sort of pain to the dragon while it retaliates with a tail swipe, killing off many ninjas while leaving only at least five to ten live shinobi and ANBU altogether.

"Dammit, none of our attacks or explosives are working against this thing!" One shinobi swore as the others were panting from exhaustion after using most of their strength in their magic attacks.

**RRRAAAAWWWWRRRR!**

Acnologia dives towards the remaining shinobi to finish them off as they begin to fight back despite their current predicament when the dragon suddenly stopped in its course of travel while the ANBU and normal ninja look down towards the streets of the village and find out that Shikaku's shadow is being connected to Acnologia's shadow, causing the dragon to remain motionless in midair as the spiky ponytail ninja begins to pant tiredly from the amount of chakra infused into his magic spell.

"I can't hold onto it for much longer with this amount of magic that it's using to escape; Chōza!"

"Right!" A grayish-red magic circle appears under Chōza's feet after he makes the hand sign for "Ram" as the plump man begins to grow to the height and size of the Dragon King himself and charges towards the immobilized dragon with an outstretched hand reaching to the dragon when he got closer to it. Shikaku releases his spell, giving the dragon movement again until Chōza manages to obtain a hold on it as he then prepares to throw Acnologia out of the village by spinning in a complete arc at least two times with a strong grasp on the dragon as the plump ninja then throws the dragon at least a few kilometers away from the village perimeter on the third rotation; causing him to shrink back to normal size.

"We got him where we want him now!" Inoichi said in anticipation as both him and Shikaku continues to observe the savage dragon when Minato appears above Acnologia as he uses another _Rasengan_ on the dragon, sending the dragon crashing to the ground as he then throws four of his _Flying Thunder God Kunai (Hiraishin Kunai)_ around Acnologia and lands a few meters in front of him.

"Hm!" Minato grunts as he slams his palm onto the ground, causing strange black inscriptions to surround the kunais and rising above Acnologia as a transparent barrier begins to appear around Acnologia and trap the dragon with no space to take flight nor move towards the Hokage.

**GGGRRRRRAAAAAAWWWWRRRRR!**

The black dragon instantly gets up but its wings collided with the barrier, causing it to drop back to the ground and making it resort to smashing through the barrier with a series of headbutts.

"To think it still has this much strength left after being tossed around and engulfed in explosions, he's definitely no ordinary beast..." The pale-yellow shinobi states out loud as his comrades along with the remaining Konoha shinobi and ANBU focus on regaining their energy while witnessing the black dragon continue to try to break out of Minato's barriers.

_"I'm starting to feel my chakra and ethernano beginning to diminished," _Minato began to think in his head as he feels his entire body begin to tire out from exhaustion, _"If I don't hit Acnologia with my next attack, Konoha is definitely going to be wipe off from Fiore once and for all..."_

* * *

"Now listen up; all of you young shinobi are to stay inside this shelter to avoid being caught in the crossfire between the Hokage and a creature that we humans thought was only a legend." An older shinobi with strange red eyes ordered to the bunch of the younger shinobi who are herded in front of a barrier that was placed to protect them and the many civilians who manage to made it to the stronghold from outside forces.

"What do you mean by that?" A young 15 year old kuinochi with long messy black hair and similar eyes to the man in front of them. Standing beside her was three young male shinobi around her age: One of them was wearing a green jumpsuit with bandages wrapped around his hands and arms; he also has bushy eyebrows and a bowl cut hair style. Another has spiky silver-gray and he was wearing a black body suit underneath a long gray flak jacket along with a black mask to cover his lower jaw and a headband tilted to the left to hide his left eye. The last one had short spiky black hair and was wearing the village's green flak jacket over the standard blue ninja uniform of the village.

"This isn't a battle between villages," the man began to explain to the girl, "This is just a monstrous being on a savage rampage, there's no need for you all to risk your lives for this situation."

"Speak for yourself!"

"Calm down, Kurenai!" The young male with the spiky black hair said to calm down the angered kuinochi.

"We are shinobi, we aren't guaranteed a peaceful and long life like the wizards outside of Konoha; but, my daughter... At least pass down the Will of Fire to my grandchild," The girl begins to calm down, "So please, make that your oath to your father; for I believe in you, my daughter."

Kurenai's eyes begin to widen at the enlightenment of her father's plead as the other younger shinobi and kuinochi behind her and the three males begin to take in the situation a bit more rationally than they did when they were evacuated into the defensive stronghold.

Meanwhile, the ANBU that was assigned to take Kushina and the newborn Naruto was beginning to run low on ethernano from running such a long distance to get to the stronghold while the escorted was still staring into the distance that was leading back to Konoha as she was starting to worry about Minato's state after she felt his chakra/magic beginning to wither from excessive usage.

"Maybe we should rest here; you are beginning to tired out there, sir." Kushina begins to wager with the ANBU.

"I cannot, I have to get you and your child to the defensive stronghold on Lord Hokage's orders," the ANBU stated with conviction, "you don't have to worry, Miss Kushina. Lord Hokage is a strong man, he'll do what he can to stop that monstrosity."

Kushina's eyes begin to narrow in thought when she suddenly felt a large amount of negative emotions burst into the atmosphere, creating a backlash that flowed around the perimeter as it knocked the ANBU off-balanced, letting go of his grip on Kushina as she lands on the ground with Naruto unharmed while the ANBU was sended into a tree, knocked unconscious from the collision.

"I'm sorry, Minato," Kushina begins to mutter out loud to herself, "But I just can't play the role of the burdened woman without being worried about Naruto's future at stake." With that she begins to head towards the location with Naruto in tow where the negative feeling was emitting from.

* * *

The black dragon had smashed its head into the barrier one last time as it successfully broke through the barrier as it then releases a loud roar mixed with not only magic but also with its negative intent on killing in the form of a shockwave, sending many ANBU and shinobi flying while Minato barely manages to stand his ground by focusing his chakra into his feet but he then falls onto his knees as he felt his chakra/magic begin to deplete at an extremely fast rate.

_"I never thought that I would last this long against a foe such as Acnologia himself..."_ Minato thinks in his head while panting from complete exhaustion, _"Kushina_, _it looks like I won't be able to see Naruto grow up into the man I wanted him to be..."_

Acnologia gets back up as it prepares to strike down Minato with a single swipe of its claw while the Ino-Shika-Chō trio watch on from their respective spots after being send flying from Acnologia's roar.

_"Gomen ne, Kushina... Naruto... I hope that the two of you will be able to survive this somehow..." _Minato closes his eyes as he waits for the finishing blow from the black dragon. Just then, a large amount of raw magic and chakra in the form of a beam hits Acnologia right in its face; causing it to stagger back from the massive amount of pressure in the attack. Minato reopens his eyes when he didn't felt the finishing blow while he also recognizes this chakra/magic so he turns his head to the right that lead to the stronghold to find Kushina running towards him with Naruto in her arms.

"Kushina, what are you-" Minato tries to speak to his wife as she approached him, "I've told you that I was prepared to risk my life for Naruto's-" He automatically stops on what he was going to say just from the glare in her eyes. Thankfully, the tension between the two was lifted when Naruto began to cry out loud for them to hear so Kushina begins to gently rock Naruto back and forth while soothing him as he manages to fall right back to sleep from his mother's words.

"I know how devoted you can be when it comes to either me or the safety of the entire village," Kushina began to speak to Minato with a calm voice, "But what you've said before you began to clash against Acnologia, as this boy's mother, it really inspired me to outdo you in protecting this child's future. After all, today's Naruto's birthday..." Minato became shocked at his wife's words as he begins to drift his glance onto the sleeping Naruto in her arms.

Acnologia begins to recover from Kushina's unexpected attack as it flies back into the sky while observing the two shinobi who are staring towards the dragon with determined eyes.

"I don't have much chakra or magic left to use a _Space-Time Barrier (Jikūkan Kekkai) _and I know that you don't either since you only got some of it back from childbirth, not to mention you used that recovered chakra in that blast of yours."

"Don't worry about it," Kushina began to assure her husband, "I still got enough for one final attack. Although, I would've never imagined that I used _his _magic again..."

"I agree..." Minato then sees Acnologia beginning to descend towards them in a diving swoop so he then throws one _Flying Thunder God Kunai_ towards the dragon when he disappears from the ground and reappears just above Acnologia's back with a _Rasengan_ in his hand, "This is the final attack: _Flying Thunder God: Second Step (Hiraishin__・ __Ni no Dan)!"_ He slams the sphere of ethernano onto Acnologia's back as Acnologia gets launched into the ground, just a few meters in front of Kushina as she begins to take in a deep breath and tilts her head back to release the pended up magic she absorbed.

_"Nine-Tailed Fox's Howl (Kyūbiko no Dōgo)!"_ She fires another beam of raw magic and chakra directly at the falling dragon, hitting it directly as it gets engulfed in the upcoming explosion from the attack. Minato reappears besides her just as soon as she begins to tumble directly to the ground.

"Are you okay, Kushina?" Minato asks his wife as he sees Naruto begin to squirm in her arms.

"Don't worry Minato, I'll be fi-" The both of them automatically turn to the sound of grating earth as they see Acnologia rise up again from the smoke with only minor scratches on it as it then roars into the skies and takes flight once again. "After all of how much magic and chakra we put into our attacks, it still wasn't enough to wore it down..." Kushina began to quiver in fear at Acnologia's durability.

Naruto, somehow sensing his parents' fear, began to cry once again after hearing the monstrous roar Acnologia just let out.

"Gomen ne, Naruto; we didn't mean to frighten you..." Kushina soothes Naruto as she rocks him gently once again, "So, there's really isn't any hope for us to survive now." She says as the both of them see Acnologia begin to absorb the magic in the air in order to wipe out the "pest" once and for all.

"I just used up what I've been saving during our chat; I don't enough ethernano and chakra to teleport all of us to safety but there's still hope for Naruto though." Kushina looks at Minato with a curious glance in her eyes while she's soothing the baby in her arms, "It may be risky but we have to send Naruto using the _Flying Thunder God spell _to the one who taught how to use the other branch of your magic."

Kushina's eyes widen in shock at what Minato was suggesting to her as she knew that deep inside, there wasn't hope for them to be a happy family living peaceful lives in Konoha.

"But, Kurama isn't exactly one to take in children into his wing so easily; not after what he has seen over the years that he had existed. Even if he does want to raise Naruto, Kurama practically hid his presence away from humans and as I remember, you haven't met him either to mark him with your _Flying Thunder God Seal (Hiraishin no Fūin) _either."

"But I can use your chakra to send Naruto to him; after all, isn't the final step of becoming his _Jinchūriki _is to let him implant and fuse some of his chakra into your own?" Minato asks Kushina as Naruto finally begins to fall asleep once again.

Kushina then began to think about another methods of getting Naruto to safety but as they sense Acnologia's attack fully charged and ready to fire, she knew there was no time to think about as she reluctantly nods her head in agreement as Minato slams his palm to the ground, summoning a golden-yellow magic circle while Kushina places the sleeping Naruto into the middle of it as she and Minato both place their hands onto Naruto's stomach.

"Before I send Naruto away; is there anything you want to say to him before we perish from the incoming attack?"

"Naruto..." Kushina began to say with tears beginning to form in her eyes, "Don't be picky, eat heartily so you can grow big and strong! Take a bath every day and get enough sleep... Find a goal… a dream… and don't stop trying until it comes true. There's… there's so much more that I want to say… to teach you… I want to stay with you… I love you_. _So please, no matter how stuck up that old fox can be, take his lessons to heart unlike me because despite being self-proclaimed about not liking humans, deep down, he really has a devotion towards one human and that one human's words was all that he needed... to keep on searching for this "chosen one"."

Acnologia tilts its head back to let out the energy it absorbed loose as Minato waited for his wife to finish to say his parting words:

"Naruto, as your father... there's not much for me to say... considering I agree with everything your motor-mouthed mother just said right now..."

_"Flying Thunder God: Teleport (Hiraishin: Terepōto)!_

Acnologia releases the energy in the form of a massive beam of magic as the beam then hits the ground below directly, destroying everything in the radius of the blast as it finishes its attack to see everything that was in range, including the village of Konoha, destroyed and in rubble. Acnologia then turns around and begins to fly away from the fallen wasteland that it has created as it lets out one final bloodthirsty roar before blending into the dark sky once again.

* * *

Somewhere in an isolated mountain side, a gigantic orange-red fox with a human-like body structure and nine giant tails almost at the size of Acnologia himself was lying on the cave's floor it was residing in as it notices the negative feeling in the air while it squints its eyes shut when it recognizes not only the dragon's magic but also the many chakra and magic of the inhabitants the dragon was currently slaughtering.

**"So, that blasted lizard has finally decided to show its face to those damned humans after all of this time... But still, humans, no matter if they're mages or shinobi, all of them still attracted hatred and war towards each other, bringing forth Acnologia into the mix itself."**

The fox senses a magic circle appearing in front of it as it opens one of its red-slitted eyes to see a sleeping baby boy wrapped in orange cloth lying in front of it. Just as it's about to fall back to sleep, the baby begins to cry, causing the fox to open its eyes, widened with annoyance.

**"Why in the the- Shut it, you little-" **the fox had begin to yell only for it to recognize the chakras embedded inside of the tiny baby, **"I see... this is the child of Kushina, but why would she of all people send her newborn child here?" **The fox pondered onto a solution as the baby was getting on its nerves so it lets one of its tails soothe the crying baby through gentle brushes as Naruto smiles at the feeling of the fox's tail when it suddenly comes to a realization.

**"So Kushina has perished, huh... That woman; I never imagined she would be persuaded to send you here to me just for you to be safe..." **The fox mumbled to itself as it unconsciously smiles at the baby's affection to its tail. **"I never imagined that** **I would do this again after Kushina but after sensing not only her chakra but **_**his **_**chakra as well, I guess it wouldn't hurt to adopt you and take you in as my next **_**Jinchūriki, **_**child. Now, what is your name though, I wonder?"**

The fox sees that the child is fast asleep so it decides to use the tail that the baby was growing attached to look into the imparted memories of Kushina's chakra as it smiles after finding its answer.

**"Naruto, huh? Someday, Naruto, you'll turn out to be one heck of a **_**Jinchūriki **_**and an excellent man just like the Old Man himself..."**

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**Now I know how it feels to type such a long chapter compared to what I've been used to typing down. In any case, the schedule for the typing and uploads will be at least one-three chapters typed and uploaded on Fridays and the weekends but on May 11th is when I'll type the chapters everyday but still upload one-three if more on the same basis on Fridays and the weekends or in any other day when I feel like it.**

**Thank you for reading and please leave a review to help make this story stronger.**


	4. Kurama's Jinchūriki

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 3: Kurama's Jinchūriki

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail. All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima.

**Note: Thank you all who have given their opinions of both Naruto's training progress and Kushina's fate; it really helped me on a long one to make a final decision on how I should progress the story a lot more easier. I apologize in advance if some of you are going to disappointed on my decisions, but I'm just following what I feel is right for the story. So, without further ado, thank you for reading and enjoy the chapter!**

* * *

_October 10th X765,_

After many minutes of running from a fair distance to Konoha, Hiruzen and the small guild master arrive at what they thought was suppose to be Konoha as the entire village appears to be wiped out completely as the two old men take their time on observing the damages that have occurred in Konoha. While they were taking in the sight of the destroyed village, they came across several bodies of the fallen ANBU and Konoha shinobi on either the ground or caught in the debris.

"What in Mavis' name," Makarov began to question to himself, "happened here? The entire village of Konoha has been practically wiped clean from existence... I can't even sense one living person now regardless if they had magic, chakra, or neither one."

Hiruzen let out a pondering hum as he strokes his beard in a thinking manner until he saw a giant crater a few meters away from the destroyed village while he also sensed a faint trace of chakra and magic that he seems to recognize as his old friend sees the change in Hiruzen's expression after taking one more glance at the destroyed village.

"Hiruzen, what is -" The aforementioned man begins to head to the giant crater, causing the short guild master to be stumped by Hiruzen's behavior, "Wait up Saru; what is it that you just sensed?"

The former Hokage just kept his attention on the faint presence that he sensed in the crater while Makarov just focuses on keeping up with Hiruzen's pace until a few minutes later, they've reached the giant crater and slid down into the center when both old men express shock in their eyes as they come across the fallen bodies of Minato and Kushina.

"Minato... Kushina..." Makarov gasped lightly as he closed his eyes when he lowers his head to mourn for the two and the innocent lives that were lost in this catastrophe.

Makarov raises his head up when both he and Hiruzen heard light breathing and see Kushina weakly get onto her arms as she turns to look at the two old man while taking in slow breaths.

"Hiruzen-sama, Makarov-san..." Kushina began to say until she begins to have a coughing spree; worrying the two men until she began to take in more air and breathes slowly.

"Kushina, what happened here? And what about your child; where is he?" Hiruzen asks Kushina in a calm manner while observing how Kushina was beginning to breathe even more slower, indicating that she's about to pass on and doesn't have time left.

"Naruto... Minato used my chakra *coughs* to send him away from an attack by the Black Dragon himself," Hiruzen and Makarov's eyes widened with shock as the red-haired woman mentions one of Acnologia's titles but they continue to listen to Kushina's words as she was beginning to run out of time, "I don't know where Naruto was sended off but he's in safe hands no- *coughs*"

"Kushina..." Makarov mouthes out sadly as the aforementioned woman was beginning to lose the strength in her arms, tumbling slowly as both men begin to perk up her hearing as her breathing was beginning to fade out.

"Check the defense shelter... I believe there are still survivors in that building if it's still there and... please, Hiruzen-sama; do whatever you can... to find and give Naruto... a new family..." Kushina managed to say as her eyes slowly closed as her arms lost their strength; causing her to fall back onto the ground, lying right next to Minato in the end.

"To think they would die just like this..." Makarov said in a dishearten voice as Hiruzen begins to focus on sensing other chakras in the area and from the direction of the defensive stronghold, Hiruzen was able to pick up a few trances of exhausted magic and chakra altogether from the direction of the shelter.

"It is a shame for poor Naruto though; to have to live the life of an orphan without even knowing his birth parents and his birthplace," Hiruzen replied to his old friend's statement as he begins to head towards the stronghold, "In any case, there's no possible chance that Konoha will be the same as it was before so I've decided to have the survivors of Konoha choose on what they want to do about their home."

Makarov just listened to what his dear friend had to say about his choice of letting the survivors choose their own choices while the short old man also made a decision like Hiruzen.

"You know, Saru, if there's anything that you need my assistance with, you know you can come to me for help as always."

"I'm grateful for your help, Makarov-dono," Hiruzen thanks his friend for his selfless proclamation, " So, since you came all this way, can you help me guide the survivors of my home until they're ready to make the choice of their future."

"You should've already know my answer to that request, Saru." Makarov cheekily stated as he followed the former Hokage from the giant crater all the way to the defense shelter where Hiruzen sensed the surviving magic and chakra in that direction.

* * *

_January X772_

_"I'm afraid that I don't have that much time left," An elderly man began to say to nine huge infant creatures that surrounded him in a giant ritual circle: the infant creatures in rotation ranged from a bipedal tanuki (raccoon dog), a fiery bakeneko kitten, a tortoise, a monkey, a dolphin/horse hybrid, a slug, a beetle larvae, an ushi-oni (ox demon), and a kitsune pup. What made these creatures stand out from the rest was not just their height but the amount of tails that these creatures seem to have respectively from one to nine._

_"Shukaku, Matatabi, Isobu, Son Gokū, Kokuō, Saiken, Chōmei, Gyūki, Kurama. Even though you have been separated, you shall always be together. Until eventually that time shall come when you become one again... You each carry a name... And with a different form than you had up to now, you will be shown a righteous path, different from the time you spent inside of me... What is true power... Until that time..."_

_All of the infant creatures were paying close attention to the man's words as the man turns around to look at the infants behind him when the small kitsune sheds a tear after hearing the man's words and-_

"Kurama, wake up! Wake up!" A six-year old blonde boy was yelling at the giant orange nine-tailed fox as the kitsune grumpily opens one eye as it sees the boy clinging onto its left paw.

It has been six years and three months since Kurama had decided to take in the young child as his new _Jinchūriki_ after his second disciple, Kushina, perished from the attack of Acnologia. With the amount of time Kurama existed, it had always tried to hid its presence away from humans after seeing a couple of its fellow _Tailed Beasts (Bijū)_teach humans their special magic only for them to abuse them in times of war for their homes. Despite how it began to view humans as power-hungry, there had been a few exceptions in Kurama's eyes such as his first _Jinchūriki_, Mito Uzumaki, Kushina Uzumaki, and now his third disciple, Naruto Uzumaki-Namikaze. The young boy has really reminded Kurama a lot of Kushina as he was raising the child in not only the facial expressions but also in his personality and verbal quirks which annoyed the fox to no ends; not to mention that the young boy ALWAYS woke him up when he was having _that _particular dream.

**"What, brat?" **The kitsune said, annoyed, as it opens both of its eyes to give the young Naruto the time of day as the young blonde jumps off of the fox's paw and runs near the entrance to the cave they're residing in.

"Come on, Kurama. You promised that you'll show me how to do the _Nine-Tailed Fox's Spinning Talon (Kyūbiko no_ _Bōsekizume)_ today after I've finished smashing those giant boulders yesterday, didn't I?" The boy pouted at the giant fox who just stares at the six-year old with a tired and annoyed look in its eyes.

**"I did, gaki," **Kurama sighed out loud with annoyance hidden in its tone, **"But I remember that I promised to teach you the _Nine-Tailed Fox's Spinning_ _Talon_ only if you actually decided to read the books I had stashed over there _and _smash the boulders with just your bare fists." **The kitsune snickered when it saw Naruto's disgusted expression when it mentioned reading the books.

"Not the books again, dattebayo!" the young six-year old whined as he was beginning to throw a fit at reading those tattered books in the corner, "The words in those things are really hard to understand; how in the world is a kid like me suppose to read them!?"

**"Oh, so you're giving up after all of these years I've raised you to be my _Jinchūriki_?" **Kurama begins to taunt his disciple as the young boy points his index finger directly towards the giant fox while having an angry expression.

"No way I'm giving up, you stinking fox!" Naruto proclaims at Kurama as the smirk on the fox's face begins to grow, "It just that those things have words that I don't even know and everything the books are trying to say makes no sense at all!" The young blonde begins to scuffle his hair in frustration while Kurama's smirk just keeps on growing when the fox just knows what to make the young boy read the books in the cave.

**"So you rather go through _that _again just so you can avoid reading the books with the so-called "complicated" words." **Kurama snickers in a teasing manner as the six-year boy screams in horror as he begins to remember what _that _actually was after Kurama brought it up again.

"NNNNooooo! Anything but _that! _You know how much I hate having to keep running from those things!" Naruto said to the giant fox as tears began to fall out of Naruto's eyes like a waterfall.

**"Then you might as well get to those books before I forcefully take you outside of these mountains so we could initiate _that_ then," **Kurama said with pleasure in its voice. **"Because I think the wyverns on the other side really miss chasing their strongest prey yet."**

"Well, I don't! Those handless lizards are really snappy; snappier than yourself, you lazy fox." Naruto exclaimed while he walked all the way to the corner with the books and picks up a small book with a dark tan cover and strange letters inscribed right on it. Kurama fell right back to sleep as Naruto begins to read the book with a concentrating glare.

As the minutes begin to go slower in Naruto's point of view, the young boy was beginning to grow impatient despite he just only read a few pages from the book in his hands and Kurama's snoring made the boy even more irritated and eventually he had enough as he threw the book to the ground in anger, waking up Kurama from his nap.

**"Why I outta- Can't you even finish reading one single book without getting frustrated at the words, gaki?!" **Kurama roared in anger as Naruto stares right back at Kurama with his own angry stare.

"Like I've told you a zillion times, these books are really hard to understand especially with this etanao or something chakura; it's making my brain rot!"

Kurama just stares at the young boy as the latter just throws another tantrum until Naruto begins to notice Kurama gets closer to him as it lays back down on its stomach as it begins to etch some kind of inscription on the ground for the boy to see.

**"I guess I should've explained this to you personally instead of shoving books about this topic to your face so try to listen carefully," **Kurama started to say as the six-year old just stares at the finished inscription Kurama drew on the cavern floor, **"_Ethernano _is the basic enbodiment of all magic that most people usually use either in their daily lives and jobs while _Chakra _is another form of _Ethernano _but unlike the magical presence, _Chakra _is the person's life energy instead of being magic itself."**

"So both E-tha-na-no and Cha-ku-ra are both forms of energy, but how can you tell them apart?" The six year old asked the giant fox as it just gives a sweatdropped expression but lets a huge sigh as it starts to explain it more simply again.

**"Close enough but to answer to your question; _Ethernano_ is basically the essence of a person's soul or emotions taken physical shape and it's the more common type of energy here in Earthland while _Chakra _is the person's life energy like I said before so it's a lot more dense than _Ethernano _itself and only a few people of Earthland can use it at will."**

"So in a way, _Ethernano _is the person's soul while _Chakra _is raw power alone?" The young boy asked Kurama as the boy was somewhat starting to understand the two essence of energies.

**"You're catching on; but to make it easily, _Ethernano _can be comparable to Nature's air as it flows all around us while Chakra is the hidden potential of all living beings so it can't exactly flow into the sir itself unless the user has no control over it or lets it out when they're using it in battle. As a ****_Jinchūriki_****_, _you'll eventually gain control of both _Ethernano _and _Chakra _over time and with mastery of the two energies; you'll be strong indeed."**

Naruto gaped at the fox's proclamation and causes the boy to embarrassingly blush as he scratches the back of his head while chuckling at his imagination in his head of being the strongest.

**"Now then, since you can't seem to learn anything from books alone, I might as well teach you through experience then," **Kurama said as the giant fox gets up from its resting spot and begins to walk outside as Naruto snaps out of his trance to notice the fox staring from outside of the cavern, **"So, there's no other choice but to find those handless lizards." **Kurama said as the young boy's eyes widen in horror at the mention of the wyverns and begins his head rapidly in protest once again.

"NNNNNNNNOOOOOOOOOO! No way, you stinking fox!" Naruto stubbornly said as he moves his arms in a refusing gesture while still shaking his head rapidly in refusal, "There's absolutely no way that I'm facing those lizards again-" Naruto began to say until Kurama curled one of its tails around Naruto and begins to take him outside by force while ignoring the constant whining from the six-year old boy.

* * *

Meanwhile, at a certain guild in Magnolia, two old friends along with a somewhat younger man with long spiky white hair and wears a green kimono underneath a red haori are currently sitting at the local bar in Fairy Tail as they have their own conversation while watching the usual commotion in the rowdy guild.

"Whohahahaha! Oh boy, I forgot how rowdy this place can get at times," Jiraiya laughed joyously as he takes a sip of the sake in his hand, "It makes me think on the good old days, right, old man?"

"Yes, except that they didn't fail getting a single bell from such obvious traps though." Hiruzen told his former student in a teasing manner as the younger man turns his away from Hiruzen as his face pouts out in annoyance from the memory.

"Even so, at least the two of you didn't cause so much damage to several towns just to wrap up a single job," The short guild master said as he drinks his mug of beer and lets out a relieved sigh before continuing, "I swear, I think they're just trying to cause more trouble so the Council can just have a word with me about the guild..."

"So how's being the leader of the newly-built settlement coming along; even though we've been practically neighbors after six years?"

Hiruzen strokes his beard in a thinking manner while he then tells his dear friend his answer:

"Some of the surviving shinobi are still adjusting to having mages as 'neighbors'", Hiruzen emphasized in his explanation, "But I'm relieved that some of them along with the children and villagers adjusted to the change. So much that the majority of them actually moved into your humble city. It's a blessing to see the children of wizards and shinobi becoming friends instead of enemies." The slightly elderly man finished with a smile on his wrinkled face.

Upon hearing the older man's answer, Makarov also gave a cheeky smile; thinking of how the survivors of Konoha lived in not only their newly-builded settlement but also in the city of Magnolia.

"I'm glad to hear that; it makes me really think about the good old days and how we first met during one of my old team missions, Hiruzen..."

"But that's just the joy of youth that the two of you just don't have anymore," Jiraiya said as the two old man turn their heads to stare at the white hermit with an uneasy glance until Jiraiya suddenly slams one hand into the other palm as he remembered something, "But even so, I'm pretty sure that you'll enjoy this with the time you have left, right, Makarov-dono?" Out of his kimono, Jiraiya takes out a small orange book with a woman kicking a man with the symbols for "Icha-Icha" engraved right above them as Makarov looks at the book with fascination and his eyes suddenly turn into hearts right after the short old man leaps out of his spot and automatically snatches the book out of Jiraiya's hand.

"Ohohohoho! So you've finally published the second volume of your famous series!" Makarov said with a lecherous tone in his voice, "You wouldn't believe how many days and months that I wanted to read this after such a long time!" Makarov finishes with a strange giggle as Hiruzen just stares at his old friend and student with a blank stare.

"In any case, Jiraiya," Hiruzen said to catch the attention of both men, snapping them out of their perverted conversation, "Have you manage to find any form of ethernano similar to either Minato or Kushina?" Jiraiya begins to develop a serious expression while Makarov stops his goofy act as he turns his attention onto Jiraiya once more when the hermit just sighs with disappointment hinted in his sigh.

"Gomen ne; but I'm afraid that I couldn't find the child's presence anywhere, old man; it's either gone from this world... or that it still exists but rather, it's being hidden by some kind of outside force."

"An outside force, huh? It would make sense; if only we knew who Minato and Kushina send their child off to..." Makarov said while thinking of any possible situations in his head until Hiruzen began to call out to someone:

"Seeing as you've heard everything there's to know about the child, will you still accept this task, of finding your sensei's possible six-year old son..."

An ANBU shinobi suddenly appears right in front of Hiruzen, Jiraiya, and Makarov as the ANBU takes off his mask to reveal the face of the spiky silver-gray haired boy from six years ago but he isn't wearing his headband to cloak his long scar that stretched over a strange red eye with two black tomoes in them.

"Kakashi Hatake..."

* * *

"I REALLY HATE YOU, YOU STINKING OLD FOX!" Naruto is screaming out loud to the giant nine-tailed fox who's lying nearby while running away from at least five giant wyverns. Kurama sensed one more wyvern try to ambush the fox, only to get crushed by one of the fox's giant tails.

**"Tsk, dumb lizards, thinking that they could sneak up on me of all creatures..."** The fox smirked as it sees Naruto still trying to run away from the hoard of wyverns, each of them trying to get a bite from him only for the young boy to jump left and right just to avoid being eaten, **"Oi, Naruto. Don't just run away; remember what I've told you about _Ethernano _and _Chakra _and use those words into mastering my _Tailed Beast Magic (Bijū _****_Mahō)_****_."_**

Naruto didn't heard all of it as the wyverns were becoming desperate into eating the young boy but the six year old had enough and he spins around during a dodge so he could look directly at the savage wyverns behind him as he then begins to inhale the ethernano from the air and then begins to mix the ethernano he sucked in with the energy in his body like Kurama demonstrated to him a year ago. The wyverns closed in on him when the young _Jinchūriki _landed on the ground and tilts his head back, unaware of the boy's next move.

_"Nine-Tailed Fox's Howl (Kyūbiko no __Dōgo)__!"_ Naruto releases the blended ethernano and chakra as a massive beam of raw energy which hits all of the wyverns on contact, burning off the majority of their scales and flesh just from mere contact with the beam before it finally faded out.

The wyverns turned back around after being hit by the excessive energy beam and fly off without anything to eat. Kurama then sees Naruto run up to it with a pleased expression since he finally drove off the savage handless lizards on his own.

"So, how did I do this time, Kurama?" Naruto boasted after his victory which made the giant fox grunt in annoyance from the boy's newfound attitude but eventually grins a little after looking at the smiling blonde's face and automatically remembers Kushina making a similar smile on her face.

**"Not bad, after many attempts we practice this with the guide of the books," **Kurama told his young disciple, **"It wasn't exactly that strong though since the wyverns we found today were just brand new adults on their first hunt but if we continue to do this method of training, then eventually you'll get the hang of my training in this method."**

Naruto nodded at first until he managed to reel in all of the words and he instantly begins to turn pale from the aspect of facing those lizards again.

"Oh no, that was only one time; I'm not going to go up against fully-grown wyverns then if it means that I'll be definitely eaten for sure the next time!" Naruto exclaimed out to Kurama who just squints one eye in amusement to make it look like that it has a raised eyebrow.

**"But if you think it about it now, would you prefer reading the books or actually taking the training seriously through experience? Because I know for a fact that you're one who learns through action instead of learning by reading textbooks." **Kurama said in an analytic manner to Naruto whom begins to think things more carefully but like any six year old, he still doesn't get what Kurama was talking about but he still nods his head so he doesn't have to read the books.

**"That's good to know, then we'll start the training of the _Nine-Tailed Fox's Spinning Talon_ right after you learn the basics of the _Nine-Tailed Fox's Claw (Kyūbiko no Tsume)_ through more practice with the help of the boulders and the wyverns here," **Naruto still became pale from the idea of facing those flying handless lizards again, **"I'm making you fight those blasted newts is so you can get a better grasp on how to use your hands just like any lizard claw and then focusing your C_hakra_ and _Ethernano_ into that hand to perfect the _Nine-Tailed Fox's Claw,_ do you understand now?"**

Naruto began to think in his young child head of his about what Kurama said to him about fighting those wyverns but if it'll make him strong, then the boy realized that he didn't need to think about it anymore so he then bumps his hand onto his left chest, just above the heart as he then states to the giant fox:

"You better believe it, it's just getting me more revved up now than ever, you giant fox!"

**"Good," **Kurama replied to Naruto's determination with the same acknowledged eyes that he usually has when the boy does something impressive, **"Then, let's go back to the cave to rest up then we can check on your vocabulary just before we have dinner."**

"Not again with the word lessons..." Naruto whined as Kurama begins to head back to their cavern while leaving Naruto behind to have another tantrum again.

* * *

In another village far away, many of the villagers are glaring at a young girl with black hair that reaches to and frames around her neck while wearing a white hairband over her bangs; what probably caused them to stare at her with such menacing and hateful eyes are the two small curved horns protruding out of her short hair. She continues her way through the villagers with caution and fear in her eyes, one of the villagers grabs ahold of a tiny stone and chucks it at the girl, nearly hitting her.

The horned girl begins to runs away as the villagers begin to follow the previous action and begins to throw small but somewhat harmful objects (more stones, twigs, splinters of wood/glass, etc.) at the girl as she gets farther and farther away from the open populous while getting hit by a couple of those thrown objects and enters into the forest outside of the village. The young girl enters a hole inside of a rock formation underneath a tree as she curls up onto the wall of the small cave and begins to shedding endless tears.

_"Why... Why is everyone afraid of me?" _The girl thought to herself while continuing to cry until she began to fall asleep without an answer to her question.

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**Finally finished; I was having creative problems when I was typing out this chapter so I apologize again if this chapter wasn't to your sense of taste. But don't worry, I'm still going through with the plan I've made for this story while incorporating what I've read from the many reviews into the mix as well. And before I wrap things up here, the Fairy Tail anime is finally back on air and I can't wait to see the many scenes that I like in the manga be animated onto the television (computer) screen.**

**Thank you for reading and please review to let me know how well I'm progressing with the story.**


	5. Lucky Seven and Black Steel

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 4: Lucky Seven and Black Steel

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail. All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima.

**Note: Before the chapter begins, I want to say that during the story, I'll be guessing the ages to all of the characters with no known age at the moment so I hope I was accurate enough just from their physical appearance and background.**

**Thank you and enjoy the chapter.**

* * *

_November X775, _

"Ohhhhhhaaaaa!"

A ten-year old Naruto shouts out loud as he tries to focus mixing his chakra and ethernano into his hands which are curled like a claw as a hue of the fused energies appears around them; after noticing the appearance of his hands, the young blonde lunges towards a rugged boulder in front of him while rolling frontward and slashes the boulder with his transformed claw-like hands, leaving only more giant dents onto the boulder.

**"You're not balancing the ratio of chakra that you're using to fuse perfectly with your ethernano," **Kurama says as it lazily opens one eye to see the boy's frustration in the form of him punch the boulder again only to hurt his hand since he didn't use either chakra or ethernano into his punch. **"The blending of the two energies for the _Nine-Tailed Fox's Spinning Talon (Kyūbiko no__ Bōsekizume) _is just the same as the _Nine-Tailed Fox's Claw (Kyūbiko no__ Tsume)_ but you just have to put all of that focus into both of your hands to make the fusion perfect." **

Despite the young boy managing to get the hand of using both energies after three more years of actual experience, Kurama was always amused to see the boy's frustration when it came to fusing chakra and ethernano together to use the techniques of his _Tailed Beast Magic (Bijū__ Mahō)_; however, the only ones that the young boy was able to perfect with the union of both energies was the _Nine-Tailed Fox's Howl (Kyūbiko no__ Dōgo)_ and the _Nine-Tailed Fox's Claw__. _

"Argh... Kurama, did my mother ever face the same problem as me when she was your previous _Jinchūriki__?"_

Kurama's eyes opened wide when the young blonde just asked a question about Kushina. As the fox tries to think of an answer to the boy's question, he remembered the time and the boy's reaction when he decided that it was alright to reveal the identity of the ten-year old's mother two years ago.

* * *

_October 10th X773, _

_"Kushina, your previous Jinchūriki, is my mother?!" An eight-year old Naruto asked in shock as the giant nine-tailed fox just revealed the identity of his mother after finishing up their dinner and Naruto asking Kurama about his previous disciples which resulted in Kurama telling the young boy about both Mito and Kushina Uzumaki along with the revelation of the latter being the blonde's mother ._

**_"Yes..." _**_Kurama calmly answered back to the boy's question while taking a glance at the boy's emotionless expression after letting the recent information he just heard from his teacher sink into his head so Kurama decided to elaborate on the sudden answer, **"She_**, like you, **_was orphaned during the time of a dark guild invasion which resulted in not only the destruction of her home village but the creation of a demon from a Book of Zeref (Zerefu Sho)." **_

_"A Book of...Zeref?" Naruto asked in confusion as he snaps out of his trance while looking at the giant fox who decides to simplify the explanation for the young boy._

**_"A series of books written by the most wicked of wizards, Zeref; the books contain not only various knowledge on the wizard's sorcery but also details on how to create an actual demon from their respective volumes." _**

_"Was Zeref really that dangerous, I mean, I understand he can bring these demons to life but what does all of this have to do with my mother?"_

_**"Zeref didn't just have the capability of creating demons," **Naruto raised an eyebrow at Kurama's answer but when he saw the serious expression on the fox's face, he was starting to have a feeling that he should prepared himself for the worst and terrifying answer he has heard his entire life.  
_

**_"His speciality revolves around the Black Arts (Kurou Geijutsu): the basics of forbidden magic such as Living Magic (Seikatsu Mahō) and Death Magic (Shi no Mahō). The reason why I'm saying this to you now, Naruto, is that your mother's village was known to have various monsters invade the village only to be sealed away by the residing villagers."_**

_"So in other word..."_

**_"The villagers were the perfect sacrifices for a demon's creation because of their talents in Sealing Magic (Fūin Mahō) and their longevity which was essential for a powerful demon such as the one created by that "guild" long ago." _**

_Naruto was slowly taking in the information Kurama just gave him about the relation of his mother's village and the dark wizard, Zeref; What Naruto didn't understand was how Kurama mentioned the word "guild" in an unnoticeable voice that no one but Naruto himself could notice. _

_"So my mother's survival is how your explanation is related to her becoming your student just to find the dark guild that took the lives of her fellow villagers, right?" Naruto asked the giant fox who was silently surprised that the boy took the information in without thinking it over._

_**"Almost; she found me when she was just looking for another home and I just taught the skills necessary to help her find that home; but yes, I also believed that she also wanted to find the demon that her fellow villagers were used to create that monstrosity.** **But, it would seem that she had put all of that aside when she had you on this day." **_

_"So what happened to her? Did she send me to you because she didn't want me?" The young eight year old asked in a mixture of a sad and anxious voice when Kurama decided to tell him straight out._

**_"I'm sure that she loved you, gaki," _**_Kurama began slowly as the fox was trying to think this out so the young boy wouldn't put himself on the path of power that all humans decided to take, **"But she wasn't able to stay with you this entire time is entirely Acnologia's doing."**_

_"Acnologia?"_

**_"The Dragon King as most people would call him these days," _**_The fox scoffed out loud while Naruto still kept a listening ear for the giant nine-tailed fox, **"I don't know the exact details but that monstrous lizard came flying to the village that Kushina resided with her husband years ago on this day as well according to what I saw from her remaining chakra inside you,"** Kurama noticed Naruto gain a curious look on his face when the fox mentioned his mother's chakra being inside him but it still continues its explanation, **"Your parents were trying their best to drive it off from the village but as legends have stated about the dragon, it was impossible and your parents used up their remaining chakra to conjure a spell to teleport you away from Acnologia's attack which annihilated the village along with your** **parents,"** Naruto's eyes widen as tears suddenly beginning to form in the eight-year old's eyes and then dripped down slowly after Kurama stayed silent for the boy to mourn his parent's death, "**You should know what happens after that but the main point is that they may not be here now but they'll always love you, no matter what and if you feel like that you're alone, they'll always be in your heart to lend you support; as would I." **_

_Naruto stopped his crying when he just heard the fox's encouraging words about his parents will always be with his heart along with Kurama as he swiftly wipes away the remaining tears off his face and gives the nine-tailed fox a wide grin on his face.**  
**_

_"Thank you, Kurama," The fox's eyes widen at the actions of the stubborn and energetic blonde, "You've been with me this entire time and just hearing that I had parents who loved me, I'm grateful that I was able to hear those words and despite I don't even know my father's name; I know for a fact that both of them would do anything for my sake just like you."_

**_"Don't go thanking me, it's weird to see you thanking me rather than yelling at me! I only explained to you about your mother and her origins like you asked me to; that was all I was concerned about! And now, maybe I should make your training even more harsher in order to see you struggle and adapt your fighting stance even more! That's it, in order to make things more amusing!" _**

_"Why are you getting angry all of a sudden, you crazy fox!" The eight-year old comedically yelled at Kurama while pointing an accusing finger directly at the giant fox, "I was only thanking you for sticking by me all this time! I don't care if you're going to make the training even more tougher now but you could've at least fix the way you return someone's appreciation because it's-"  
_

_Naruto stops his angry rant when he hears Kurama briefly chuckle out of humor as the fox looks down at the young blonde with what seems to be an amused expression on its face._

**_"Well, then. Shall we toughen up your training in order to make you into an excellent_ _Jinchūriki_ that both of your parents can be proud of?"**

_The eight-year old begins to stand up as he curls his right hand into a fist and then bumps that hand into his left chest as he then looks at the giant fox with another wide grin but his eyes alone showed pride and determination flowing through him._

_"I'm ready for anything you throw at me, dattebayo!" _

* * *

_November X775, _

"Kurama? Did you hear what I've said?" The ten-year old Naruto looks at the giant fox in confusion when the boy saw that Kurama was dazing off. The giant fox begins to shake its head while it takes in the boy's voice as it snaps out of its trance.

**"Hmm... To be honest," **Naruto begins to lend a listening ear when he heard the fox begin to speak, **"She did had this one problem now and then but unlike you, it wasn't with the fusion of _Chakra_ and _Ethernano._"**

"Really? What was it?" The fox was trying to fight back the urge to barf when Naruto asked that question as it remembers Kushina's _"personal issue" _and was trying to think of a way to avoid the topic whatsoever.

**"You really should keep your nose out of things that are considered inappropriate, gaki. You will wish that you haven't asked that question at all if I explained it to you."**

"And just why can't you tell me what Mom's problem was?" The boy tilts his head in confusion so Kurama decided to simplify its answer to the boy's question in terms that wouldn't cause the boy to vomit all over the mountain terrain.

**"Let's just say that it has something to do with her growing her as a girl so she constantly bothered me if her "chest" was getting any bigger or not. When I happened to say no, she would get angry and would bash anything in sight into pieces with her _fists."_ **

"Her chest? Why would she be bothered about that if it didn't grow at all?" The giant fox just stared at the young blonde with a piercing glare as if it was asking the boy was joking. Then again, Naruto is still a young boy so he wouldn't understand _"that" _of all things.

**"You'll understand what I'm saying when you get older and witness a girl complain about her chest if you manage to have one as a friend." **Kurama said as it begins to get up from its previous spot and enters the cavern they were staying at along with Naruto trailing behind the giant fox.

The boy goes to what seems to be a pile of human food that Kurama apparently got "for free" and begins to search for something in the pile to eat but when he couldn't find what he was looking for, he began to pout in irritation which caught Kurama's attention.

**"What is now, gaki? Don't tell me that you're fuming over the fact that there's isn't any ramen for you to eat? After all, you just ate the last one this morning for your breakfast," **Kurama stated nonchalantly as the young blonde looks over to the fox laying on the cavern floor with an angry expression.

"Well, I can't help it, dattebayo!" Naruto raises his clenched hands in the air as he continues to complain to the giant fox, "That stuff is really good and the smell is so good that I can't get enough of it even if you say it isn't healthy to eat it everyday!"

Kurama just sighed at the boy's addiction towards the cup of noodles so in order to not hear the boy's complaints anymore, the fox lets out a loud sigh for the boy to stop his rant and listen to what the giant fox has to say.

**"If you really want to eat ramen that much, then take the food that you aren't going to eat and find a town or village who will be able to buy them from you and that should give you money to have your precious ramen." **Naruto just blankly blinks at the fox's order but he begins to take in after having an idea of how much ramen he could get from selling the food in front of him so he grabs a giant green cloth lying near the pile of wood used to create their fire and begins to place the food that he didn't think he'll be eating anything soon onto the cloth and then wraps the cloth around the food in the cloth when he was finished.

"Alright then, I'll be going now to get some more tasty ramen~" Naruto said in a mischievous voice which Kurama caught on with his tone and saw all of the food in the pile gone while Naruto carried the now giant cloth over his shoulder as the young boy ran out of the cave, leaving Kurama with a stumped expression on its face.

**"The kid has a ramen addiction really badly... Just like his mother..." **Kurama said to itself while it grimaces at how much ramen Kushina ate when she was still training with the giant fox.

* * *

The blonde ten-year old carried the giant sack of food with ease while he was running down the mountain side they were inhabiting, blasting any stray wyverns that were still trying to devour him with a simple _Howl,_ and eventually he made down to the base of the giant mountain with no worries so the blonde carries on with no signs of severe exhaustion in his eyes. He searched high and low for any sign of a village or even a town at that but he had no luck with finding any sign of civilization until an hour later, where the young ten-year old managed to stumble across a cave entrance behind a waterfall and after traveling through the cave entrance, Naruto found himself in the middle of an island that was practically surrounded by many layers of trees with houses blended in and directly surrounding a giant tree.

"Whoa, this is a _village?!_" Naruto exclaimed to himself as he takes in the surroundings of the village while he searches for a bridge of some sort to get onto the local land of the village, "Man, Kurama didn't tell me that villages could look exactly like this though..."

The young blonde was able to find a bridge soon after and enters one of the local towns in the giant village as the ten-year old looks at the surroundings with curiosity while the some of villagers just look at the boy with either amazed looks when they saw the giant sack he's carrying over his shoulder or amused looks when they see the young boy look around his surroundings. The boy eventually found a food stand with crates full of fruit and vegetables so he walks up to the front of the stand, catching the merchant's attention when he sees Naruto opening the giant sack to reveal the giant amount of food inside.

"Excuse me, mister," Naruto began to say as the young boy motions his hands to the pile of food behind him, "How much do you want to buy this off of me?"

"My, my; that's a whole bunch of fresh and healthy food you got behind you," The food merchant said in amazement when he glanced at the giant pile of food, "Why the sudden urge to sell all of this?"

"I need to sell all of this in order to get a lot of money to buy tons of ramen~" Naruto replied with a cheery voice while making the food merchant tilt his head in shock.

"Wait, you're... selling all of this just so you can get some ramen?" The merchant asks the young blonde just in case he didn't heard the boy right but Naruto just nods his head in excitement for the bowl of noodles which just answered the merchant's puzzled question.

The merchant just let out a short sigh while he shook his head exasperatedly at the young blonde, "Look kid, I can understand if you love ramen so much but haven't you even tried to eat the food in that pile? After all, every growing boy and girl needs their veggies along with many other things like bread, meat, and milk."

Naruto snapped out of his trance when he heard the man in charge of this food stand said and slowly processed it into his head and eventually, he realized that the man wasn't going to buy not even one thing from the giant pile.

"But-But-"

"I'm sorry, kid," the merchant said while giving the young blonde a scolding glance, "I'm not going to buy anything from that pile if you're just selling those food behind you for tasty ramen. Learn how to eat healthy and maybe I'll buy something from that pile if you still have it."

Naruto gave an angry pout at the man and the young boy was about to let out an insult when he felt a hand scuffle his hair and made him bend down a little as the young blonde turns his head slightly to his side and saw that a dark tan girl with shoulder-length mint-green hair was responsible for making him bent slightly. The merchant was looking at the girl with a shocked look on his face as the girl looks directly at the man with a cheerful smile on her face.

"Excuse me, sir," The girl started to say which strangely causes the man to straighten his shoulders in a startled way, "Can't you just buy at least one item from this massive pile of fresh food and I can take care of the rest."

"Not you again," The merchant said in an annoyed voice, "Just how many times are you going to come here and force us to do whatever you want just to satisfy these kids?"

The aforementioned girl lets go of Naruto while she postures herself in a confident manner and straights herself out, confusing the young blonde on the girl's actions.

"As many times as you refuse them," The girl said cheerfully, making the young boy even more confused but Naruto's eyes glimmer with awe when he saw the merchant take out a small sack and throws it into the young boy's hands.

"Take it; just give me some of those apples and cabbages in the pile and be on your way now," The man said to the young blonde who just putted the sack of money away and goes to the giant pile to take out a few apples and cabbages to give to the merchant.

The merchant took the apples and cabbages from Naruto just before Naruto walked to the giant pile of food and wrapped it up again in the green cloth. The young boy lifted the giant cloth over his shoulder as he slightly bowed down to the merchant.

"Thanks again, mister," The boy said as he ran off only to stop when the same girl reappears right beside him as she places her hand on his shoulder, "Um.. Do I have to pay you for ear-"

"Don't fret about it," the mint-green hair girl replied while wrapping an arm around Naruto's neck in a friendly manner, "Just follow me; I just know a good spot with tasty ramen for you, my treat."

* * *

Naruto thought that his trip to a human village couldn't get any better but until the girl who introduced herself as Fuu brought him to this ramen stand, his day just became even better as Fuu was going to pay for all of the ramen he was eating. The girl sat in shock when she saw just how much ramen the young blonde was eating at a rapid pace so she decided to start a chat with him.

"So, your name is Naruto, is that correct?" Fuu said to start the conversation and to make Naruto stop devouring the ramen in the process. The young blonde looks up from his current bowl of ramen as he turns to look at the girl next to him so he could answer her question.

"Yep, and your name's Fuu, right?" The aforementioned girl nods her head at the question while Naruto starts to remember something he wanted to ask Fuu about ever since she helped him with the food selling, "Hey Fuu, why did you help me back there? You weren't involved in any part of it so why?"

"Why huh..." The mint-green haired girl began to gather her thoughts while looking at the ceiling of the ramen as she turns back to Naruto, "It's because that you were really trying desperately to get money for some ramen and besides, I usually do this all of the time with the other kids in the village."

Naruto was amazed at her straight-out and honest answer but he just continued eating his ramen until Fuu mentioned something that caught his attention really well,

"And besides, it's not everyday that I get to meet another _Jinchūriki _such as yourself." Naruto almost spitted out the broth and noodles that was inside his mouth when Fuu said _Jinchūriki _with a cheerful tone and catching the young blonde off-guard as he now looks at the young teen with questioning and shocked eyes.

"Hold on; how did you know that I was a _Jinchūriki _and what do you mean by another?!" Naruto asked the girl quickly after swallowing down the food inside his mouth but Fuu just smiled at the boy's sudden curiosity and how his eyes suddenly widen when he thought of a possible answer, "Wait, are you a _Jinchūriki _like-"

"Yep, and to answer how I know that you were one as well; unlike most mages including shinobi, _Jinchūrikis_ give off a particular essence that most mages wouldn't recognize due to the essence, being the _Jinchūriki's _magical energy, becomes almost similar to our tailed beast's chakra after staying with them for such a long time."

Naruto slowly processed all of this into his head as the young blonde began to get excited at the prospect of meeting another _Jinchūriki _and so he decided to ask Fuu about her Tailed Beast.

"Say Fuu, if you're a _Jinchūriki, _then who's the Tailed Beast who took you in; I've only heard from Kurama that there were nine of them out there but he never did mentioned any of their names at all."

"Kurama... So you're the _Jinchūriki _of the Nine-Tails, huh? Chōmei told me on how that fox only took in two humans as its _Jinchūriki, _but he never mentioned that Kurama had gotten another _Jinchūriki_ as of late..."

"Chōmei?" Naruto tilts his head in confusion as he tries to picture what Chōmei would look like in his head, "What kind of tailed beast is it supposed to be?"

"Chōmei is the Seven-Tails and he has the appearance of a giant beetle." Fuu clarified to Naruto who gains a shocked expression when she told that her Tailed Beast is a giant insect, "Chōmei may look a bit... creepy because it's a bug but the guy's enthusiastic and cheerful if it deems you worthy as friendly and honest."

"Hold on, despite on what you say about Chōmei, doesn't it give you extremely harsh training like fighting wyverns or something? Because Kurama does that to me on a daily basis even since I refused to read the books he had..." Hearing that caused Fuu to giggle in amusement at the young blonde's training while the blonde looked at her with suspicion.

"Nah, Chōmei is more lenient in my Tailed Beast training than Kurama is to yours; the only harsh training it ever gave me was the massive lessons on balancing out chakra and ethernano in order to perform the _Tailed Beast Ritual (Bijū no__ Saigai_)." Fuu reminiscently told the ten year old, gaining a curious look in the young blonde's eyes while Fuu recognizes the look when she mentioned the _Tailed Beast__ Ritual._

"_Tailed Beast__ Ritual?_ What the heck is that?"

"It's the final procedure that a Tailed Beast does with its current _Jinchūriki _when the Tailed Beast deems its student worthy of completing the final part of their _Jinchūriki _training on their own, without the presence of the Tailed Beast," Fuu began to explain while Naruto listens really closely to the mint-green haired girl's explanation really closely, "The ritual itself is the Tailed Beast fusing at least half of their presence with their students' in order to create a symbiotic link between the two so the _Jinchūriki _can not only call upon its chakra when they run out of their own chakra and magic but also as a means of telepathy communication between them and their Tailed Beast."

"In a way, it practically means that the Tailed Beasts and their _Jinchūriki _share the exact same mind upon the completion of the chakra ritual."

Naruto's eyes widen at the prospect of Kurama not only fusing his life energy with his own but also on when Kurama will decide for Naruto to leave the giant nine-tailed fox permanently. Fuu saw the distressed expression on the young boy's face so she puts a hand on his shoulder to comfort him, catching his attention.

"Don't worry about it just yet, Naruto; you're still young after all but on the other hand, Kurama isn't really that soft like Chōmei was to me when I was still with him," Naruto began to realize that Fuu's speaking from experience as she continues, "But still, I'm positive that Kurama wouldn't just send you to the outside world permanently without granting you any knowledge about the final phase of your training or anything about the outside world." Fuu takes out a few bills of paper as she places them on the counter for the chef to take as payment for Naruto's ramen, "In any case, I'm sure that you'll find the answers you seek in due time."

She takes her hand off of Naruto as she gave him one last assuring smile and runs away from the ramen stand, leaving Naruto at the ramen stand to mentally prepare the boy for the day when he'll be send to the outside world to live out there and for the final phase of his training.

* * *

"Why that stupid, ungrateful, selfish silver platter!" A young boy with short but spiky black hair that almost reaches to his shoulders and red-slitted eyes roars out loud while walking in a long branchy path in some sort of woods, scaring some of the birds away, "When I get back to that metallic lizard with these special gauntlets or whatever, I'm kicking his sorry iron ass until he begs for mercy!"

Little did he know, a certain blonde boy with a giant supplie of newly acquired ramen was walking on the other side of the branchy pathway so when he found a branch in the way; the blonde boy swatted it away with one of his hands when that exact branch hits the other boy straight in the face, stunning him for a second and causing him to become even more irritated.

"What in the-" Naruto questioned to himself when he sees the black-haired boy break the tree branch he swatted away with just his right arm and was now staring at him with scary narrow red eyes, "Who are you? And what's with the lizard-like eyes?"

The black-haired boy became even more irritated from hearing Naruto asking a question about his eyes just after he "unintentionally" swatted the tree branch in his face and his angry ranting.

"Lizard-eyes!? I could say the same to you, Blondie-McWhiskers!" The boy yelled angrily as his arm suddenly turns into an iron pole-like club, surprising the blonde ten-year old as he barely manages to dodge the extending club's range regardless with the giant cloth hanging over his shoulder. The boy retracts the club back and lunges towards Naruto, making him drop his giant supply of food and block the spiky black-haired boy's incoming punch while throwing the boy away from him.

Naruto tosses aside his stash of food to the side and begins to focus his chakra and magic into his right hand in order to develop a bubbly red claw-shaped aura around it, catching the slitted-eye boy's attention as he transforms his right arm back into an iron club and stretches out towards Naruto. The blonde boy jumps above the club's course of impact and leaps towards the black hair boy with his right hand stretched back.

_"Nine-Tailed Fox's Claw (Kyūbiko no__ Tsume)!"_ Naruto lunges his aura-covered hand towards the black-hair boy to graze him but the latter pushes him back with a swing from his other hand while retracting his transformed hand back for another attack.

"Not too shabby, Blondie-McWhiskers but let's see you dodge my _Iron Dragon's Club__ (Tetsuryūkon)_ this time around!" The black-hair boy extends his club towards Naruto, hitting dead flat on his stomach and sending him flying towards one of the trees nearby. "C'mon, Blondie; you can't be down that quickly yet."

Naruto leaped back from the tree he collided with and lands on the ground a few feet from the black-haired boy, making the latter smile with glee while the blonde just glared at the black-haired boy after recovering from the attack.

"Alright, Lizard-Eyes; why the heck are you exactly attacking me in the first place?!" Naruto shouted to the black-haired boy in front of him, "And another thing, my name's not Blondie-McWhiskers; it's Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Na-ru-to?" The black-haired kid said slowly as he starts to chuckle at the meaning of the name, "What kind of parent names their kid after a fish cake? That's just down right stupid, but really funny for a laugh though!"

Naruto begins to clench his fists in annoyance at the black-haired boy as the latter heard the tightening in the blonde's hands so he stops laughing and stares at Naruto with an amused look.

"Aw, did I hurt your pathetic feelings after that attack?" The black haired boy taunts in an amused manner, "C'mon, show me what you can do."

Naruto was beginning to get annoyed with the young boy in front of him so the young blonde takes in a deep breath to calm himself down and glares down at the blonde with angry eyes.

"Alright seriously, who are you, Lizard-Eyes?!"

"If you really want to know, the name's Gajeel Redfox and I'm..." the black-hair boy sighed out in boredom but he begins to smirk as his iron club suddenly transforms into a large jagged steel blade; shocking the blonde boy even more, "A _Dragon Slayer._"

The newly-introduced Gajeel then leaps towards Naruto with his newly-transformed sword-arm while Naruto focuses on mixing his chakra and ethernano together in both of his hands as they gain bubbly-red claw-shaped auras around them. Naruto then uses both of them to grab Gajeel's incoming attack but the young ten-year old became shocked when the edges of the young _Dragon Slayer's_ bladebegan to buzz violently and causing Naruto to hastily throw Gajeel away from him and towards a nearby tree. Gajeel transforms his feet into iron clubs and stretches them outward to rebound from the tree in order to get back into attacking range for his sword-arm again; the young blonde leaps to the side when the black-haired _Dragon Slayer _swung his sword at Naruto's previous spot, sending Naruto back from the recoil.

"You're..a _Dragon Slayer?" _Naruto squinted his eyes in suspicion at the black-haired boy, "You mean as in... people who were raised by those handless lizards in the mountains?"

"Handless lizards... What the he-No; not Wyverns, you big dope! I was raised by a _dragon! _Get your facts straighten out! I mean, what kind of _Dragon Slayer _doesn't know what dragons are?"_  
_

"I wasn't raised by a lizard, Slit-Eyes! And I'll prove it to you!" Naruto yelled offendedly as he begins to absorb the ethernano in the air as Gajeel looks at the blonde boy with intriguing eyes as he too begins to suck in the air from the atmosphere after transforming his sword back into his arm.

_"Nine-Tailed Fox's- (Kyūbiko no)!"_

_"Iron Dragon's- (Tetsuryū no)!"_

_"How__l_ (Dōgo)!" Naruto fires a crimson beam of raw magic and chakra directly at Gajeel as he too begins to fire a blast of his own.

_"Roar__ (Hōkō)!"_ Gajeel releases a grayish tornado-shaped blast filled with sharp metal shards at Naruto's beam of chakra and magic, both colliding with one and another as the two blasts try to overwhelm the other in power, but eventually; the two beam exploded, causing the two combatants to be pushed back from the sheer force of the explosion and into the bark of the trees.

They eventually got up after a few seconds as both of them begin to pant in synch with each other while staring at each other with exhausted eyes and a satisfied smile on one of them.

"Well, well; not bad for someone who claims not to be a _D__ragon Slayer...," _Naruto stares at the slitted-eye boy with a hint of annoyance and acknowledgement towards the black-haired _Dragon Slayer, _"But this is where our battle ends..." Gajeel said as he transforms his right arm into the same large jagged blade and prepares to lunge towards Naruto when a bellowing roar can be heard by the two of them:

"**YOU INSOLENT BRAT! STOP PUTTING ALL OF YOUR ATTENTION TO A SCRAWNY WHISKERED BOY AND GET ME THOSE METAL GAUNTLETS I TOLD YOU TO GET BEFORE I CONSIDER PUSHING YOUR TRAINING EVEN MORE SO THAT YOU'LL HAVE NO BREAKS!**"

"Tch... That blasted metal bastard..." Gajeel complained as he turns his arm back to normal, confusing the blonde ten-year old at his sudden change of attitude when he turned away from Naruto to walk even deeper into the woods but slightly turns his head and the right side of his body to point directly at Naruto.

"Listen here, Blondie-McWhiskers; our fight may be over for now, but the next time that we meet; we will finished this, just you wait." Gajeel exclaimed to the blonde ten-year old before he turns back around to head deeper into the trees while Naruto goes to his unharmed stash of food and carries it over his shoulder as he thinks about the spiky-black haired boy's Dragon Slayer Magic (Metsuryū Mahō).

"What in the... Just what was that all about? I've got to ask Kurama about these dragons or whatever that Lizard-Eyes was yelling about..." The blonde ten-year old thought to himself while he started to travel back to the mountain where he and Kurama are residing in for the boy's training with only dragons and ramen taking over the boy's train of thought.

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**Finally, this took a while to type and finalized due to lack of motivation but here it is. I hope that this chapter isn't too bad as I'm still getting used to typing long chapters but in the next chapter will be the final timeskip of Naruto's training so look forward to that.**

**Thank you and please leave a review so I can make the future chapters better. **


	6. Two Wanderers The Tailed Beast Ritual

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 5: Two Wanderers; The Tailed Beast Ritual

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail. All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima.

**Note: As I said before in the last chapter, this will be the final part to Naruto's training so look forward to Naruto's journey towards Fairy Tail in the future chapters. Thank you for reading and enjoy the chapter. **

* * *

_July X777, _

Rain was falling to the ground below at a medium pace, making the dirt underneath the grass soft and mushy for any kid to step on. As the rain continued to fall from the sky, a young girl with shoulder-length dark blue hair crouches patiently nearby a tree; her eyes show that she was waiting for something to come to her. She heard rustling from the bushes she was looking at and a sky-blue haired boy with a strange tattoo below his right eye walks up to her with various fruits in his arms and kneels down to her height when she stood up and and ran up to him, anticipation welling up in her as she stares at the many fruits.

"Wow, where did you get all of this food?" The girl said in amazement, making the boy chuckle at the girl's reaction as he watches her look at the pile of fruit in his arms.

"Don't ask... but you know," The boy began to say to the girl as she listened to his words, "I usually don't like rainy days like this one but there's a chance for something good to occur, just like this." He said, referring to the pile of fruit in his arms, "Now let's eat."

"Hai." The young girl replied happily as she picks one of the round fruits in the pile and begins to eat it along with the older boy peeling off the skin of a banana and ate it soon after.

* * *

_August X777,_

"Awesome, so that's what a Jinchūriki's Partial Transformation looks like?!" A twelve-year old Naruto asked his fellow Jinchūriki in amazement. The latter was hovering above the ground with the use of two tail-like wings protruding from her lower back.

"Yep; thanks to Chōmei, I'm able to use the Chakra and Ethernano that he had fused with mine to access this ability." Fuu cheerfully replied while she did a few air somersaults before retracting her wings and landing on the ground.

"So how long did it take for you to be able to form Chōmei's tails for the ability to fly?"

"At least a couple of weeks for me to get adjusted to Chōmei's energies inside me," Fuu replied in a thinking manner, "And two whole month for me to be able to use those energies to form those two wings you saw earlier."

After Naruto came back to Kurama from visiting Takigakure two years ago, Naruto made it a habit that whenever he go down the mountain to fetch food (ramen); he would go to the hidden waterfall village to visit Fuu for more practice in his training. When he first started his frequent spars with Fuu, he was having a hard time adapting to fighting against her fast and agile battle style, but Naruto was eventually able to find a way to counteract against Fuu's fighting style thanks to his newly-acquired _Shadow Clone Magic (Kage Bushin no Mahō). _Naruto was confused as to why Kurama made him learn a new branch of magic if the twelve-year old already knew a powerful _Lost Magic (Rosuto__ Majikku),_ but the young boy had a lingering feeling that having an ancient branch of magic might bring suspicion to either wizards or non-magic civilians. Regardless, Naruto found the _Shadow Clone__ Magic_ to be quite versatile in not only creating multiple physical clone but it splits his magic and chakra evenly with each clone. The magic also came with the addition of memory adaption when each clone he created gets defeated by an opponent, so from using that to his advantage, Naruto not only countered Fuu's fighting style: he was able to create his own techniques for his _Tailed Beast Magic (Bijū__ Mahō)._

"That long!? Seriously!?" Naruto exclaimed while thinking of his future progress when Kurama fuses its own chakra and ethernano with his own.

"Don't worry, I'm sure that you'll be able to master in using Kurama's magical energies in no time flat," Fuu reassured the young boy as the latter was beginning to get somewhat gloom at the possibility of not mastering the difficult process.

"That doesn't reassure me that much, but, thanks Fuu," Naruto cheekily smiled to the older _Jinchūriki_, "I guess it means that I still got a long ways to go if I want to become a strong mage that'll make my parents proud of, datteboyo!"

"Your parents, huh..." Fuu sighed out loud, catching Naruto's attention when he saw the mint-green haired teenager sit on a nearby boulder with a faraway gaze.

"Now that I think about it, you never told me if you had parents or not. To tell you the truth, I never really knew my parents until Kurama told me that my mother was his previous _Jinchūriki_ and that she and my father sacrificed themselves for me when I was a baby."

_"_I see... Well to tell you the truth," Fuu began to say, catching Naruto's attention, "I never really knew who my parents were or even if I have them; because Chōmei told me that it never saw or sensed anyone near the tree grove where he found me in. So, in a way, I was raised without the knowledge of knowing a parent's love."

Naruto was shocked to hear that his fellow _Jinchūriki _never knew about her parents or if they're looking for her as of this moment. Looking at the direction of the clouds, Naruto decided that it was time for him to get back to Kurama.

"Well Fuu, I'll be seeing you around for another spar sometime soon." The twelve-year old said as he went to pick up the giant green sack over his shoulders and walk back to the mountains.

"Alright then," Fuu shouted cheerfully at Naruto as he walks farther away from the training spot, "Say hi to Kurama for me."

Naruto rose his right hand without turning around to give Fuu a thumbs-up to let her know he received his message while still walking. Little did they know, a strange rift had begun to drain some of the ethernano in the air nearby and disappeared soon after they turned upward to look at the sky.

* * *

Naruto was getting closer to the mountain he and Kurama were staying at for the twelve-year old's training until suddenly, he heard small rustling nearby and stopped walking to hear more closely.

"What in the?" Naruto looked around the area in confusion when he heard the sudden rustling nearby. The rustling kept on getting louder and louder until suddenly; he heard a high-pitched scream to the northeast along with some savage and hungry growls.

"This way, Wendy!" A young male voice cried out to his child companion as they ran in a zigzag pattern to lose the pack of wolves that are pursuing them for lunch. The little girl beside him turned her head back for a second to see the wolves still after them.

"Jellal, they're still after us! What do we do?!" Wendy cried out as exhaustion was beginning to overwhelm her while the young sky blue-haired boy picked up his running pace while keeping a firm grip on Wendy's wrist.

"We have to keep running... We'll lose them eventually..." Jellal rasped out while breathing in but the wolves continued to tailed them despite their efforts on picking up their current speed. But just as things couldn't get any worse, Wendy's foot got caught in a tree root; causing her to trip onto the ground and Jellal losing his grip on Wendy's wrist.

"Wendy!" The young boy cried out as the aforementioned girl turned around and saw one of the wolves about to pounce on her.

Just as Jellal took out the weird-looking staff off of his backpack and the wolf was about to gnaw Wendy, a sandaled foot kicked the wolf in its stomach and send it flying into one of its companions. The blue-haired boy and girl looked at the new arrival in either shock or confusion while the wolves began to surround the blonde-haired boy with their mouths drooling for tasty food. The wolves stopped their circling around the boy and they pounced towards Naruto until the blonde boy released a lot of chakra through a strong yell, scaring the pack away from the large amount of power the shout was holding inside.

Jellal and Wendy were shocked and somewhat frightened respectively at the sheer power of Naruto's shout while the blonde twelve-year old turned around to make sure the two of them were alright.

"Hey, are the two of you alright? Because the two of you look like you've been on the run for hours or so..."

The young sky-blue haired boy snapped out of his stupor as he lightly shook his head to clear any suspicion of the stranger in his head and looks directly at the blonde's sky-blue eyes while putting his staff away.

"Yes, we are fine now, thanks to you though. We appreciate it..." Jellal said kindly while bowing slightly in graditute. Naruto noticed the little girl getting up and hide behind the other boy, confusing the blonde greatly as he walked towards them.

"Is she your sister or something?"

"No, she isn't my sister," the sky-blue haired boy replied back, "I found her walking in a forest all alone when I came across her." Jellal looked back towards Wendy when he figured out that the girl was still afraid of the blonde in front of them because of his recent actions. Placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, he slowly moved his way around her so Naruto could see her fully instead of hiding behind his leg.

"It's okay, Wendy. He won't hurt you, just say hello." Jellal reassured Wendy as the little girl looks back at the former and then glances at the spiky blonde in front of her just right when Naruto cheekily grins happily at her. After a few moments of staring at the boy's honest smile, the anxiety inside her began to drift away and she smiled back at the blonde-haired boy after she gained the feeling that the blonde boy could be trusted.

"So, who exactly are you guys and why are you traveling all on your own?" Naruto asked the two with curiosity in his voice.

"My name's Jellal and this is Wendy," the other boy answered back while lightly scuffing Wendy's hair , "I can't exactly tell you the precise details but we're just traveling wherever the wind takes us, right Wendy?"

"Hai." The young girl happily smiles to Jellal while looking up at the older sky-blue haired boy.

"I see... Well, my name's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki; it's a pleasure to meet you guys."

"So why are you here, Naruto-san?" Wendy curiously asked the spiky blonde after she noticed the giant sack over his shoulders.

"I was just heading back to the mountains over there after getting more food to eat while that lazy giant old fox just naps all day long." Both blue-heads slightly sweatdropped at Naruto's mentioning of a fox. Unknown to the young girl, Jellal became a little suspicious on Naruto's emphasizing on lazy and old for descriptions of a "giant" fox.

"Naruto-san, why would you call a fox giant along with old and lazy?" Wendy asked with curious eyes as the girl's question was answered immediately but not in the manner that they were expecting.

"I mean exactly that, Wendy... This giant fox that's supposed to be my teacher usually has me to go down the mountain while fending off against wolves and wyverns on a daily basis just to get food ever since I was 10."

Wendy tilted her head in confusion while Jellal just stared at the blonde with gobsmacked eyes after hearing about the description of this "giant" fox. What got the calm blue-haired boy even more shocked was how the fox allowed a child around his age get food while fighting off dangerous creatures such as wyverns.

"Not to seem rude or anything, Naruto," Jellal said while trying to gather his thoughts without any offense in them, "But who exactly is this fox that's raising you right now?"

"Well, his name's Kurama and to be perfectly honest with you, he's not the average fox." Wendy continued to stare at the blonde haired twelve-year old with confused eyes while Jellal got even more suspicious of Naruto.

"I mean, what if I told you, that Kurama has nine tails and he's at least the size of the entire mountain over there?"

"EEEEEEHHHHHH!?" Both blue-heads let out a shocked gasp along with a fascinated (Wendy) and shocked (Jellal) tone in them as they stared at Naruto in awe or realistically.

* * *

_Kurama lazily woke up in an empty dimension that no one seems to know about when Kurama picked up the energy flow of many similar chakras and magic energy approaching as eight orbs of light appeared in front of the giant nine-tailed fox._

_The orbs began to take form of various giant animals, taking the range from a sand-colored tanuki, a blue-fiery monster cat, an one-eyed tortoise, a horned monkey, a horse/dolphin hybrid, a bipedal slug, a rhinoceros beetle, and an ushi-oni. Kurama lightly chuckled in amusement while it takes in the sight of its fellow tailed beasts after not seeing them for two decades._

_"_**_Well, now,_**_" the fiery two-tailed cat said in acknowledgement of Kurama's presence, "_**_You actually decided to contact us for a change; instead of it being the other way around.._**_"_

_"_**_No kidding,_**_" the ushi-oni stated as it sees the nine-tailed fox scuff at the beginning of its sentence, "_**_It used to be that either me or Shukaku would have to bring you here into the_ _Tailed Beast Psyche (Bijūshinri)_ _whenever you don't feel like coming here to meet for decades._**_"_

_"_**_Tsk. You should know the reason why I don't want to come here,_**_" The fox grunted as the tanuki turned its head when it noticed Kurama's scowl in its direction, "_**_It's so that I don't have to hear the proclamations of the weakest Tailed Beast here_**_."_

_"_**_Weakest?!_**_" the tanuki shouted angrily when it heard the giant fox's insult, "_**_You've got a lot of nerve if you can just insult me when I'm right near you, you damned canine!_**_"_

_"_**_And here we go again... Kurama and Shukaku just can't stop tampering with each others' pride..._**_" the four-tailed monkey sighed out loud while observing the argument of Shukaku and Kurama escalating to childish taunts coming from the former, making the other Tailed Beasts sweatdrop at the arguing._

_"_**_Come on, you two,_**_" The six-tailed slug said while it stepped in-between the two tailed beasts to stop them from arguing even more, "_**_Didn't we all gather here today because Kurama said he had something important to tell all of us?_**_"_

_"_**_Saiken has a point, you two,_**_" The five-tailed horse hybrid calmly said out loud, "_**_Kurama, if you would._**_"_

_Kurama grunts at Shukaku's last comment before it turned its attention to the other tailed beast in the facility as it sighed slowly to gather its thoughts. The Tailed Beasts waited for Kurama to begin soon after the fox's eyes opened and observed the tailed beast's expressions to see if he was gaining their attention._

_"_**_Well, I'm sure that one of you was informed about my latest Jinchūriki, Naruto Uzumaki, am I right?_**_" Kurama began while the Tailed Beasts looked at each other in questioning but curious voices._

_"_**_Naruto? As in the young boy that visits Fuu frequently in her home village?_**_" The beetle said curiously as it tilted its head in remembrance, gaining a nod from Kurama immediately after the question was asked._

_"_**_I see that your Jinchūriki has already already met this Naruto, Chōmei,_**_" Matatabi stated to the beetle far away from the former, "_**_So you must've been given a description of the boy from Fuu, right?_**_"_

_"_**_Well, he's somewhat dense when it comes to social customs, according to Fuu,_**_" Chōmei started to explain to the other Tailed Beasts, "_**_But he has a special gift that not only keeps himself going but it seems to have a positive effect on others._**_"_

_"_**_A special gift? What do you mean by that?_**_" The one-eyed tortoise asked curiously from the beetle's inquiry, making Chōmei go even more in-depth into his description of Naruto._

_"_**_According to Fuu, he has this particular foxy smile when he's either happy or just forcing it out for others. When he shows that smile of his, it usually tells people that they shouldn't give up when they're sad or hurt; but rather, they stand back up and keep on going until they succeed. But in other words, that Naruto always seems to know how to make a bad situation good just by seeing the inspiration from his determined and selfless personality._**_"_

_"_**_A walking symbol of hope, huh?_**_" Gyūki calmly expressed out loud when Shukaku began to laugh out of humor, catching the attention of the other tailed beasts._

_"_**_That fox' Jinchūriki, a symbol of hope; you guys have to be kidding me if Kurama's brat can be a-_**_"_

_"_**_Like you're one to talk, Shukaku,_**_" The four-tailed monkey bellowed to the one-tailed tanuki, "_**_Considering that the majority of your Jinchūriki were nothing but bloodthirsty killers, you're not really keeping yourself on the same branch there._**_"_

_"_**_Back to the subject in hand; Son Gokū, Shukaku,_**_" Matatabi coughed loudly, catching its fellow Tailed Beasts' attention, "_**_After what Chōmei described to all of us about the boy's unique gift, what exactly is it about him that you want to discuss with us, Kurama?_**_"_

_Kurama closed its eyes to gather its thoughts but then re-opened them seconds later when he began its explanation,_

_"_**_Do you all remember the Old Man's last words to us?_**_" The tailed beasts all nodded at Kurama's question, making it continue its explanation._

_"_**_Ever since I took the boy into my care to become my latest Jinchūriki, I found something in his chakra and ethernano that feels almost similar to the Old Man's own chakra and ethernano itself,_**_" The Tailed Beasts all gained a shocked expression on their faces when they heard the fox's words for the blonde boy, "_**_I don't know why but after seeing that similarity in the brat's and the Old Man's chakra and ethernano, it might be possible that Naruto could be the Child of Prophecy (Yogen no Ko)._**"

**_"As in the prophesied one that would guide us onto the right path? Your Jinchūriki!?"_**_ Shukaku bellowed with disbelief while the remaining tailed beasts either had questioning or doubtful expressions on their faces._

**_"Are you really sure about this, Kurama?" _**_The one-eyed tortoise dubiously asked Kurama while the others excluding Shukaku glanced at Kurama for an answer, _**_"After all, it has almost been 400 years since the Old Man told us his parting words and yet we couldn't find that specific child."_**

**_"I have to agree with Isobu there, Kurama," _**_Gyūki said in a sympathetic manner as it tried to think of a simple explanation to the kitsune's claim of its Jinchūriki, _**_"Sure we can understand why you would think that because of the similar chakras within the boy and the Old Man but everyone besides you haven't seen him personally for themselves."_**

**_"Besides Chōmei, who has heard about him from Fuu, we don't even know if we should trust your words or not,-"_**

**_"Which is why I've decided that the time has come that I commence the Tailed Beast Ritual (Bijū no Saigai)."_**

**_"NANI!?" _**_All of the Tailed Beasts excluding Kurama exclaimed out loud in disbelief but the latter stands his ground regardless of the stares it's receiving when Son Goku took a step forward to the fox angrily._

**_"You're really commencing the Tailed Beast Ritual_ _with the boy at such a young age?!" _**_Son Gokū shouted in anger, _**_"Are you really going to step just as low as Shukaku did with its recent Jinchūriki?! For what, just to prove your point on the boy's identity?!"_**

**_"Just as low as me?!" _**_Shukaku turned its head towards the four-tailed monkey, _**_"Just what in tarnation are you suggesting, you so-called Handsome Monkey King (Bien'ō)?!"_**

**_"Son Gokū, Shukaku; that's enough!" _**_Matatabi roared in a scolding manner, making the two bickering Tailed Beasts stopped arguing, _**_"Kurama, are you really sure that the boy could really be him?"_**

**_"Matatabi's making a point; is it really that desperate for you, of all of us Tailed Beasts,"_**_ Kokuō said in agreement with Matatabi,_**_ "to come to a decision that's related to Jiji's parting words centuries ago? After all, we all have searched for that person ever since but..."_**

**_"I know that it may seem so sudden of me to seemingly finding our supposed chosen one; but once all of you see the brat for yourselves, then you'll understand my reasoning for all of this."_**

_The other Tailed Beasts all gazed at Kurama with either doubtful, stoic, intrigued, or annoyed expressions on their faces until Kurama starts to slowly fade away from the mental realm, catching the tailed beast by surprise._

**_"We can discuss more about Naruto later on," _**_Kurama said as more bits of him began to fade away even more quickly, _**_"Right now, my body can sense the gaki is back and he brought two visitors with him. Until next time, heed my words and make up your minds by then."_**

_After saying those words, Kurama vanished from the mental plane of the Tailed Beasts, leaving the other Tailed Beasts baffled by the fox's decision. They looked amongst themselves when Gyūki decided to step forward._

**_"So, what do all of you think about this Naruto character? Should we trust Kurama's words and see what the boy's capability for ourselves someday to confirm his words?"_**

_The tailed beasts glanced at one and another with uncertainty in their eyes until Shukaku scoffed out loud for all of them to hear its opinion on the matter._

**_"I don't know about the lot of you but as for me," _**_The one-tailed tanuki began to declare to the other tailed beasts, _**_"As much as I don't like that crafty fox bastard, I hardly believe that he, of all tailed beasts, would try to tell a truthful lie, don't you all think?"_**

**_"You have a point there, Shukaku," _**_Son Gokū begrudgingly agreed, _**_"Kurama may have been the most cynical of all of us but when it comes to those very beliefs that fox has claimed about this Naruto, I guess we have no choice but to see it for ourselves."_**

**_"So that means that we all come in agreement that we should have our Jinchūriki come into contact with the boy in the near future then?" _**_Saiken tilted its head curiously._

_The Tailed Beasts once again look at each other with questioning stares and a few seconds later, all of them slowly nodded their heads in agreement about Kurama's decision about Naruto._

**_"But the question is... Who should see the boy first through their Jinchūriki?"_**_ Isobu asked the others when the one-tailed tanuki decided to take one more stand about the meeting,_

**_"My Jinchūriki will go meet this Naruto," _**_Shukaku said as everyone in the mental plane turned their heads to Shukaku in shock, _**_"After all, my Jinchūriki is around his age so it'll be logical for him to meet someone that's in his age group."_**

**_"But, isn't your Jinchūriki very unstable because of your murderous influence in your mental link?" _**_Matatabi asked in suspicion while Shukaku shook off that comment with a bellowing laugh._

**_"She does speak the_ truth, _Shukaku,_"**_ Gyūki nodded its head in agreement, _**_"Wouldn't it be more suitable for either one of our Jinchūriki to go first instead of yours?"_**

**_"Well, my Jinchūriki has already met Naruto so you can leave me out of this."_**

**_"Alright; would you rather it be my Jinchūriki or yours, Gyūki, because I know for a fact that yours can get really irritating if you leave him alone even for a second?" _**_Shukaku countered at the giant octopus-ox, making the latter shiver slightly out of fear but regained its posture soon after._

**_"If you guys can't even make up your minds about this, then just let fate takes its course." _**_Son Gokū suggested when the conversation wasn't progressing any further in its eyes, making all of the Tailed Beasts pondered on the four-tailed monkey's words._

**_"I see no problem with that,"_**_ Kokuō agreed calmly, _**_"It beats arguing over the matter all day and night."_**

**_"Alright, but if my Jinchūriki meets the brat first, don't say that I didn't planned for it to_ happen!_"_**_ Shukaku manically laughes out loud as it vanished from the mental plane, leaving most of the remaining Tailed Beasts to have deadpanned expressions from the tanuki's remark. _

* * *

"Sugoi, so is Kurama-sama really that strong?" Wendy asked Naruto as they along with Jellal walked on the trail leading to the cave where the Nine-Tailed Fox resides in.

Despite the short amount of time the three spend walking together, Jellal was pleased that Wendy was starting to befriend their whiskered savior despite his odd obsession for ramen and his weird catchphrase. Even though the blue-haired boy knew he could see good in Naruto, there was something about this Kurama that Wendy mentioned before made him ponder on what Naruto really is. As for Naruto, he began to grow some sort of connection with the five-year girl to the point that he was instantly shocked when he learned that the girl was also raised by a dragon, just like Gajeel from two years ago. But he also felt sympathy for the little girl as well when he found out that her dragon disappeared a month ago, leaving her all alone with no one to help her, until she came across Jellal.

"Yep," Naruto said with a cheeky smile on his face to Wendy, "Although, Wendy, you don't have to call Kurama "-sama"..."

"Why not, Naruto-san?" Wendy asked politely, "Grandeeney told me that I should always greet everyone that I meet with the right honorifics."

"She really told you that?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the girl's answer, "Man, you must've had an easy time with your mother, huh, Wendy? Compared to my training with that lazy fox, I got the short end of the stick, dattebayo."

"Is Kurama's training really that strenuous?" The sky-blue haired boy asked after he noticed Naruto stopping in front of a giant cave entrance, "I can understand him trying to get you physical stronger but hasn't he try to have you read?"

"Oh, he did," Jellal raised an eyebrow at Naruto, knowing that there was still more to the blonde's answer, "He just knew that I was able to learn through actual experience rather than books."

"So in other words; you don't know how to read?" Jellal asked the blonde in a deadpanned voice while having a stern expression on his face.

**"That's correct, gaki." **

Both Wendy and Jellal looked upward when they saw a giant orange nine-tailed fox standing behind Naruto and looking down at the two blue-heads with an amused smirk.

**"Besides fighting and fetching food, the gaki here doesn't really know anything else if it doesn't have magic involved in it..." **Kurama said while squinting one eye to make it look like it raised an eyebrow. Naruto heard the fox's voice and suddenly jumped back a few feet next to Jellal, now staring at the fox with an angry expression and dropping the giant sack he was carrying on his shoulders.

"What the heck was that for, you crazy fox!? You're going to scare Wendy if you're going to keep doing that!"

Kurama squinted its eyes at the two strangers and noticed the little girl hiding behind Jellal while looking upward at the giant fox with curious and frightened eyes. Kurama leaned its head towards Jellal to get a better look at the small blue-haired girl.

**"Hmm..."** Kurama hummed to itself as it noticed something familiar about Wendy's magical energy.

Wendy was getting more frightened by the giant fox's stare as time began to seem like it stopped in an instant. Jellal was about to reach for the staff attached to his backpack when Kurama retreated its head back to loudly laugh in amusement, easing the tension in the younger boy. Naruto was getting confused with the fox's behavior when he saw the fox nod in acknowledgement.

**"I recognized this magical energy..."** Kurama said as it still stares at Wendy and Jellal, **"This is definitely Grandeeney's magic, so you must be her _Dragon Slayer _then, little one."**

Jellal was shocked to find out that Kurama knows about Grandeeney, making the boy more curious about the fox itself. Hearing the Sky Dragon's name, Wendy slowly walked around Jellal and stopped a few feet in front of the fox, her cautiousness to Kurama faded away after looking at the nine-tailed fox.

"You knew who Grandeeney was, Kurama-sama?"

**"Not entirely, little one." **Kurama shook its head negatively, slightly lowering the girl's hopes of finding the sky dragon, **"I've only met her once centuries ago when she used her power to heal one of my "friends" from magic exhaustion." **

"I see..."

The giant fox turned its head, after getting back up, in a 45 degree angle to the left and began to walk in that direction, making the three kids curious as to where Kurama was going. The fox suddenly stopped in its tracks when it felt the curious stares from the three of them.

**"Naruto... Come along now." **

Naruto snapped out of his glance and runs to catch up with the nine-tailed fox, making Jellal and Wendy even more curious on what they were going to do.

"What exactly is it this time, Kurama?" Naruto asked the fox when he caught up to Kurama's side, "If this is all about Jellal, then it's okay. He's a good guy, really."

**"I know, gaki, but that's not why I called you to come along." **Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion of the fox's words so the fox decided to tell the boy the real reason.

**"You've heard about this from Fuu but I've decided... that the time has come, Naruto," **Kurama began to say to the blonde twelve year old, the latter catching on the fox's explanation when Fuu was mentioned,

**"For you to partake in the _Tailed Beast Ritual_." **

Naruto lowered his head in order to hide his downcast eyes when he heard Kurama decide that it was time for the _Tailed Beast Ritual _to begin. Understanding the boy's emotions after hearing about its decision, the fox let out a reassuring sigh to carefully gather its thoughts on the matter.

**"I know that this is all sudden to you, but try to understand that I'm not doing this so I can get rid of you or anything. (_Although that would be amusing...)_ But rather, your power has progressed a lot since the day I've took you in as my own. So in a sense, I believe that you're ready to take the next step into becoming a full-pledged _Jinchūriki," _**

**"A _Jinchūriki _that I know Kushina will be so proud of." **

Naruto raised his head up to look at the kitsune as he couldn't believe on how much faith Kurama had for him. And just from mentioning his mother, Naruto snapped out of his stupor and his eyes began to burn with glee and determination, making the kitsune smirk at the boy's face.

"Alright then, I'm ready, dattebayo." Naruto thumped his right fist onto the left side of his chest as he continued to stare at Kurama with the same eyes from before.

**"Very well then, gaki. Let's go then." **

Jellal and Wendy were starting to get curious at what Kurama and Naruto were talking about a few meters from them. They snapped out of their trance when Naruto called out to them in his usual energetic voice,

"There's something that me and Kurama have to do. So in the mean time, you guys can stay in the cave and eat whatever is there in the cave."

Jellal narrowed his eyes in suspicion while Wendy waved good-bye to the departing figures of Naruto and Kurama as the two of them are heading towards an unknown area in the mountain range.

* * *

The evening sky has appeared when Naruto and Kurama arrived at an open area of the mountain with a giant magic circle inscribed right in the center. As the blonde twelve year old took a glance at the area, Kurama walked into the center of the giant circle and clears its voice to catch Naruto's attention.

"So it's finally time, huh?" Naruto said in a nostalgic tone as he entered the magic circle and stopped in front of Kurama. The giant kitsune slightly smirked at the boy's comment but saw the truth inside his words.

**"You've heard most of the details about the ritual from Fuu already so you know that just because I'm not with you physically, it doesn't mean I won't abandon you permanently after this process." **

"I know, so before we start the ritual, there's something that I wanted to ask you about." Naruto looked at the giant kitsune with questioning eyes, making the fox stare back at the boy as its eyes squinted when it heard Naruto's question,

"What's the name of the guild that you angrily mentioned in your explanation four years ago?"

Kurama closed its eyes in order to think of a simple answer to give to the blonde twelve year old so that the boy wouldn't give into the feral instincts of his _Tailed Beast Magic (Bijū__ Mahō). _Moments later, the fox was able to find an answer to Naruto's question and reopened its eyes,

**"Before I tell you the name of that "_guild",_ I must warn you about the upcoming threats that you'll face once you go through the _Tailed Beast Ritual._" **

"Threats?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the fox's answer but decides to keep on listening to Kurama's explanation,

**"Once a Jinchūriki goes through the _Tailed Beast Ritual,_ their abominable magic signature will possibly attract dozens of people who want to obtain their _Tailed Beast__ Magic_ for their own usage. Many _Jinchūriki_ of the past had been captured and became emotionless weapons because of these influence from the _Dark Guilds."_**

"Wait, the _Dark Guilds_ capture _Jinchūriki_ for power?" Naruto tilted his head in confusion when Kurama leaded its head towards Naruto to give off a stern expression,

**"When you leave this place, Naruto," **Kurama warned Naruto when the latter's expression became serious at the fox's warning, **"You must keep your _Jinchūriki _abilities hidden at all times because you're still not aware of the difference between "honesty" and a "facade". _Dark Guilds _devote their lives to in obtaining any kind of powerful magic with any means necessary. So in the mean time, be on the lookout for any dark wizards at all times and only use your _Shadow Clone__ Magic _unless the situation forces you to use your _Tailed Beast__ Magic._ Do you understand what I'm saying?" **

Despite not knowing what Kurama was talking about "honesty" or "facade", the blonde twelve year old understood the warning for his _Tailed Beast__ Magic_ and the usage of his _Shadow__ Clones. _Seeing the young boy nodded in response, Kurama decided that it was time to finish his explanation by answering the long-awaited question,

**"Now that you've heard what I had said, try not to be swayed by any sort of speech unless you think it's trustworthy. But more or less," **Kurama leaned towards the young boy's head as it whispered in his ear,

**"Beware... of the guild known as Tartarus... Because they're the ones responsible for using the souls of your mother's fellow villagers to create a Demon of Zeref."** Naruto became utterly shocked and emotionless when Kurama revealed the name of the guild responsible for his mother's orphaned state, **"****And also, all of their members... aren't humans at all, they too are demons created from the _Books of Zeref (Zerefu Sho)."_ **

Kurama could see the boy's fists clenching tightly in anger at the aforementioned guild. Naruto's chakra and magic was beginning to become tainted of uncontrollable hatred as he thought of what Acnologia, Zeref, and Tartarus did to lead his life up to now. Sensing the negative change in the boy's energy, the kitsune narrowed its eyes in concentration after leaning back from the boy as it remember that this occurrence happened before. It looked into Naruto's chakra network and used its magic to seal off the tainted energy inside Naruto, snapping him out of his angry trance.

"What in the..." Naruto looked to the left and right in confusion, then turned his attention to the giant kitsune, "How do you keep doing that?"

**"It wasn't that hard, kit; all I did was stare into your chakra network and closed it off using magic. It's a lot more easier to do since we're inside this magic circle." **Kurama looked around and saw that the sky was becoming dark, indicating night was about to arrive,

**"Are you ready to start the ritual now? All that you have to do is bump your fist with me and I will commence the _Tailed Beast Ritual _from there." **

Kurama extended his arm in front of the blonde twelve year old so his clenched hand was a few inches away from the boy's reach. Naruto looks straight at the fox's massive hand with a blank stare while lifting his arm to bump his fist with Kurama's but stops extending his arm to give the giant kitsune a cheeky smile,

"Well... After the _Tailed Beast Ritual_ is over, I guess this is good-bye, in person that is..." Naruto dropped his smile while looking at the ground nostalgically, his fist a few inches away from Kurama's.

**"In a way, gaki. But we'll technically have the same mind; so if you need any guidance or anything, you can always contact me through your psyche and I'll lend you my aid... for a price of course." **

"Hey! Are you gonna start the ritual or not, dattebayo!?" The blonde twelve year old said frustratedly as he bumped his clenched fist onto Kurama's during his small tantrum.

Kurama amusingly chuckled at the boy's anger and complied with the boy's words so it closed its eyes to have better focus on the transfer of its magic and chakra into Naruto's magic and chakra networks. The magic circle underneath glowed vermillion-orange while Naruto was feeling a lot of magical pressure in the air, forcing him to slightly kneel down from the strength of the fox's energies while they were fusing inside his own.

After what felt like at least half a day, the magic circle loses its bright glow while Naruto tiredly retracts his fist from Kurama's when he felt the fox's power inside of his body, making the magic and chakra in his body to rapidly flow all over in his body in synchronization. Kurama sees Naruto slowly collapse onto the ground after receiving the large power-up while it sensing its presence beginning to develop inside of the blonde twelve-year old, chuckling while it heard Naruto's snores ring in its ears,

**"It is finished... Naruto... I know that someday, you will come across _him _sometime during the course of your journey and you'll also gain the trust and respect of the other _Jinchūriki _like you did with Fuu. So just remember to train like you alway had and eventually, you'll meet me again in person, along with the other Tailed Beasts as well. Now then, after you've awaken, go forth and become the mage that will guide us Tailed Beast onto the right path... "**

* * *

_End of Chapter _

**I apologize for the long wait and if this chapter seems a little "rubbish"; I still have some final projects for my university classes to focus on for this semester (like my last long-paged essay). But the work load is lessing a little so I should be able to get back into my normal writing schedule soon. Next chapter, *spoiler* Naruto will accompany Jellal and Wendy on their travels; not to mention, the demon that everyone was probably _waiting_ for is going to make her full appearance as well. So look forward towards that while I finish all of this work load.**

**Thank you for reading and please leave a review on what you think of this chapter**


	7. The Demon and the Fox Part 1

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 6: The Demon and the Fox Part 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail. All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima.

**Note: This was originally meant to be one chapter but I have a very bad case of writer's block along with lack of inspiration at the moment so I'm making the fated meeting two chapters. I apologize for any inconvenience but I promise that I'll put more effort into the next part of this anticipated moment in the next chapter.**

* * *

_August X777, _

At a small hillside in a distant village, the same black-haired girl was walking in the river nearby, looking for food when she spotted a fish swimming towards her. She swooped it up in one shot as she walked out of the river and began to ascend on the hill only to see a group of armed villagers at the top, staring at her with the same hateful eyes back then. A few seconds later, one of them decided to approach her like some kind of predator,

"What do you think you're doing, defiling our river with your presence?!" The villager harshly yelled out to the girl as he picks up a medium-sized stone near his left foot,

"Get out of here, you damned demon!" The villager threw the stone in the girl's direction until the stone suddenly stopped a few feet in the air. The villager along with the group were shocked and startled respectively at not only the stone frozen in its course of trajectory but also from the girl's own hateful glare.

More of the villagers began to pick up nearby stones and one by one, they all threw their stones towards the girl but just like the first one, the stones suddenly stopped in mid-air when they were in the proximity of the girl.

"What in the- How did she do tha-"

"You imbecile!" One of the villagers scolded the one who just spoke, "Can't you see how she's staring at us?! That's the reason why the stones are floating in mid-air!"

The girl sent the suspended stones back at the villagers, catching all of them off-guard as most of the villagers gained severe bruises from the larger stones that were in the mix.

"Why you-" A slightly injured villager yelled while running towards the girl with a pickaxe in tow. Just as he was in position to strike the girl with the weapon, another villager came out of nowhere and tackled the armed villager away from the girl.

"Oi, watch where you're-" The armed man gets muffled off by the manipulated man's hands, cutting off his statement as the spectating villagers saw that the girl was just staring at the struggling men with emotionless eyes.

"She really is a demon! Someone get those two to stop fighting each other!"

"But she's using some sort of body magic on him; what if we get caught in that spell if we interfere?"

"Doesn't matter," Another villager stretched his back as he twirled a pitchfork in his hand, "We have to get rid of her once and for all!"

The villager started to hastily run towards the horned girl with calmness in his eyes until the girl turns her head to the villager when a bellowing voice cried out,

"You insolence lot!" The villagers turned around to see a middle-aged man approaching the scene along with another man at his side, "How many times must I tell you not to attack this child out of her presence here!?"

"Chief Ichirō..." One of the spectating villagers said in shock while some were beginning to either shiver of fear for the chief or glanced between the two men and the young girl.

"I've told you all of you many times that no matter what your opinions are for her being a demon or not; you'll not harm or try to kill the child, even if you all think it'll bring prosperity to our village."

"But Chief Ichirō," A young adult said as he stepped forward, "Why must we have to let this demon roam wherever she wants to?! Look at what she's doing to our fellow villagers over there!" The man said while pointing a finger to the struggling villagers.

"I'm well aware of the situation and her powers but," The chief stroked his goatee in thought, "if I recall hearing Michi correctly, you villagers were the ones who decided to disobey my request and attack her out of your own hatred, isn't that right?"

The villagers looked down to the ground in shame, silence slowly began to consume the midnight air. The chief cautiously but confidently approaches the horned girl as she stared at him with the same hateful eyes from earlier, making his expression softened from worry.

"Sayla, I know that you're only trying to gain food for yourself," the man slowly got closer to the girl's proximity, "But there are limits on how far you should use your potent ability for self-defense against your fellow villagers, my dear."

Ichirō stopped approaching when he saw the girl's eyes soften from the hateful glare she previously had. The villager who was suffocating felt his captor's hands loosing their grip when Sayla canceled out her spell. The two villagers slowly got up and began to walk away with the spectating group of villagers, leaving only the girl along with the chief and his assistant.

"Sayla." The chief saw the young girl walk pass him and heading towards the forest that she took refuge in.

She cautiously turned around when she heard her name, only to see Michi approach her with a small box in his hands. She looked at the man with an emotionless look in her eyes but Ichirō knew she was curious so he stepped to his assistant's side,

"My sister was worried that you weren't gaining enough nourishment with the fish here," Ichirō said as he noticed the fish in the girl's hands, "So she wanted me and Michi to give you some leftovers from this evening's dinner."

The horned girl slowly approached the men while staring at the box in Michi's hands. She reluctantly took the box and placed the fish on top, slightly nodded her head in gratitude and resumes heading towards the forest. When the girl disappeared from their sight, the blue-haired man turned his head to his chief with concern, catching the man's attention,

"Ichirō-dono, you know that you can't keep protecting the demon girl forever. If you do, then there'll surely be a rebellion and local wizards will come to take care of the girl in their own ways..."

"I'm fully aware of the consequences, Michi, but I must do what I can to reach out to her. Before I became chieftain, my father found the girl, bruised by the villagers when she was so young. He tried to take her into his wing but the elders and my grandparents disapproved on him raising a demon child so he was forced to leave her in that grotto in the forest, only visiting once a week to give her proper nourishment."

"So, you're just fulfilling your father's desire to making sure the girl was treated equally despite being a demon...," Michi replied back to his master, "Even so, it may be admirable, Ichirō-dono, but only you, Atsuko-sama, and myself are the only ones who see the demon girl as an equal. So what will happen if you can't protect her anymore?"

The chief looks up to the starry sky while stroking his goatee once more while the younger man listens to his master's words,

"Then I want to make sure that she has found a very good friend that she can always lean on for support and comfort. I also want that friend to see her as an equal individual rather than as a demon; that's my answer, Michi."

* * *

"I don't understand as to why the chief is defending that demon..." The subjugated villager from before said to his friend, "She's just taking up unnecessary space in our village as it is."

"You have a point there, Ōhei, but..."

"But what, Daiki?!" Ōhei snapped at his friend, "Don't tell me that you're considering to listen to the chief about not getting rid of that demon, huh!?"

"No, I didn't mean I disagree or anything," the man calmly replied back, "but maybe we should think of another way that doesn't catch the attention of the chief or Michi-san."

"Well, how in the world are we going to accomplish that, Daiki?! Because no matter what we do, that lapdog always find out about our planned attempts!" Ōhei shouted in anger, catching the attention of the passing villagers while Daiki remained silent with no answer in mind until...

"I know of a way to get rid of your so-called demon."

The two men turned to the source of the voice and they saw a light white/blue haired man wearing a forehead protector tied to his head smirking at them. The man was also wearing a green flak jacket over a blue uniform. What caught the attention of the villagers about the man was the giant shuriken tied to his back.

"Wait, who are you and what other way are you talking about?!" Daiki bellowed to the stranger who still smirked at the men's expression while leaning off of the wooden beam and approached them. Daiki was about to interrogate the stranger when Ōhei lifted his arm in front of the shocked man,

"What do you have in mind?" The whitish blue-haired man wrapped his arms around the shoulders of the two man as he leaned forward so he could whisper to both Ōmei and Daiki,

"We lure out the demon with bait. But the bait has to be completely oblivious and naïve; so we can take out the demon with ease that way."

* * *

Out of everything that happened all day, Kurama leaving a small backpack filled with a small amount food, clothes, scrolls and water was expected from Naruto. But the fox leaving a letter after vanishing without a trance is another matter entirely. Naruto read the letter at least three times already and he understood some of the kitsune's words from last night. After reading the letter, Naruto decided to accompany Jellal and Wendy on their travels since Kurama liberated him from the fox's hospitality. But as they were walking, the boy was in a diligent trance as he tried to think of what Kurama meant by this sentence,

_"Your friend, Jellal, isn't your average wizard nor is he from this realm at all." _

Naruto wasn't too sure on what Kurama was trying to tell about Jellal but despite the accusation, Naruto somehow knows that Jellal's a good person at heart. While he was thinking about who Jellal really is, Naruto felt his sleeve being tugged, snapping him out of his trance.

"Naruto-san, are you okay?" Wendy asked with worry hinted in her voice, "You've been quiet ever since we left Kurama-sama's cave."

Naruto glanced down at Wendy before turning to stare at Jellal who's a few inches ahead of them for some particular reason. Naruto looks back at Wendy and slightly smiles,

"I'm okay, Wendy, I was just thinking of something that Kurama wrote in his letter, that's all." Naruto assured while playfully scuffing Wendy's hair, making the girl squeak in shock and eventually started to laugh from the treatment.

Jellal heard Wendy squeak and slightly turned his head to see the commotion behind him. The tattooed boy noticed Naruto's strange behavior towards him after he read Kurama's letter a while ago. From thinking about it as they traveled together, Jellal speculated that the giant kitsune must've figured out where he came from. Much to his relief, Kurama didn't rat him out entirely so the boy figured that the fox only told Naruto about his secret but from the blonde's expression, Kurama told about his secret to Naruto in a furtive manner.

Naruto noticed his friend stopped walking and was now staring at the two of them so he stopped his actions and turned his attention to Jellal,

"Say Jellal, do you think we're nearby a village? Because we're no where near Takigakure..."

"Takigakure?" The 5-year old tilted her head in confusion from the name of the waterfall village. Naruto noticed her questioning face so he decided to elaborate for the girl,

"It's a village behind this giant waterfall and I usually go there to get ramen and training from Fuu, another _Jinchūriki_ like myself."

"Another _Jinchūriki_? Was this Fuu raised by Kurama as well?" Jellal asked Naruto but the blonde shook his head as he turned his attention to a small beetle on a nearby log,

"Nah, she wasn't raised by Kurama; she was trained and raised by a giant beetle named Chōmei."

"A bee-tle?" Wendy said slowly until she sees the beetle Naruto's staring at, "You mean like a bug!?"

"Um... Yeah?" The blonde raised an eyebrow after seeing the girl's reaction as she was now whimpering and shaking really badly. He then saw Jellal step up towards them and placed a hand on the girl's head, comforting her distress of bugs,

"It's okay, Wendy, you don't have to be afraid. I'm sure that this Chōmei won't harm anyone, right Naruto?" Jellal asked Naruto while comforting the scared Wendy.

"Yeah, Fuu told me that Chōmei's a really gentle fellow once he gets to know you, dattebayo."

Wendy began to calm down from her little outburst and smiled at Jellal. She ran out of Jellal's grasp and now is running ahead of the two boys when something caught her attention,

"Naruto-san, Jellal!" The little girl shouted to the two; the two boys noticed her pointing to a village in the distances, "Do you think we can stop by there?"

Both Jellal and Naruto look at each other with questioning eyes and a few seconds later, they turned to the girl and smiled approvingly,

"I guess we can stop by just for a little bit." Jellal said to Wendy while Naruto begins to head towards the distant village,

"Why not? It wouldn't hurt to get more food in the process."

"When you mean by "food", you must mean "ramen", right Naruto?" The blue-haired boy teased his blonde friend, triggering a nerve as Wendy giggled from the blonde's annoyed face.

"Oh shush, tattooed face. It's not like you've any better ideas for food."

"Naruto-san, you shouldn't call people names." Wendy pouted cutely at the blonde twelve year old, causing him to wince at the girl's expression. Jellal, on the other hand, slyly smirked at Naruto's predicament,

"But seriously, didn't Kurama ever taught you how to eat anything else like vegetables?" Jellal asked Naruto curiously.

"He tried," Naruto snapped out of his stupor from earlier, "But I always wanted ramen no matter what so he gave up on making me eat anything new."

_"Per geez, and here I thought Naruto couldn't get any pickier..."_ Jellal mentally thought in his head as he saw Naruto and Wendy making their way to the village in the distance. While Jellal started to walk after his two companions, neither of them noticed a man was spying on them from the top of a giant tree branch.

"The tattooed boy looks too distrustful and Blondie is just the same, only stupider," The man quietly said to himself, "But besides that, the brat on the other hand, she looks like she'll obey anything the two brats say but," He smirks at the view of Wendy getting ahead of both Naruto and Jellal while telling them to catch up,

"With just a few tweaks, her naïvety may be what I need for the plan!"

* * *

The three companions just arrived at the village as Wendy was taking in the scenery, excitedly and curiously. The observing villagers saw how the little girl was glancing all of the village houses and smiled amusingly at her curiosity. But as for the two boys with Wendy, a few men and women stared at Jellal's tattoo and Naruto's whisker-like marks with animosity in their eyes, catching Naruto's attention. While Naruto was staring at the villagers who were staring back at him, he didn't notice Jellal stopped and tried to get his attention until he heard Wendy cry out,

"Jellal, Naruto-san! Take a look at this!" Wendy pointed to one of the many stands in the street. The stand Wendy seemed to have an interest in had some kind of pendant with seven points pointed outward in a circle. All three of them walked up to the stand to get a better look at this particular item,

"It's a pendant..." Naruto stated out flatly, causing Jellal to slightly sweatdrop at his friend's bluntness.

"It's not just a pendant, Naruto, it's a dream catcher." Jellal clarified, making Naruto and Wendy confused and curious respectively.

"Dream catcher?" Wendy tilted her head at Jellal when the merchant said,

"It's a pendant like your friend there said," The three turned their attention to the middle-aged man, "But unlike any normal pendant, this one can grant a wish you want just as long as you fold the points here for seven nights on the phases of the full moon."

"Sugoi..." The little girl stared in awe as she turned to her two friends, "Can we get this, Jellal, Naruto-san?"

"Umm... Wendy, I'm sure that we don't have enough-"

"Pretty please? I promise I'll take good care of it and wish on it every full moon." The girl begged with her brown puppy eyes staring right at Naruto and Jellal innocently, causing them to either wince at her innocent expression or lower his chin down to his collarbone in reluctance.

"I don't know Wendy... It looks really expensive and Naruto probably doesn't have enough money to get it." Jellal looked at Naruto as he said those words.

Catching onto Jellal's answer, Naruto dug through his pockets to take out a small green frog-shaped wallet and opened it to see a few coins and a paper bill with "1000" on it. He looked at the tag next to the pendant and saw the numbers "1500" inscribed on it.

"I'm sorry Wendy, but I barely have enough to get it." Naruto said as he counted the money in his wallet and compared it with the price tag, "If I buy it, then I won't have enough money to get us some decent food for our travels."

"I see..." Wendy sadly lowered her head down as tears began to swell up in her eyes, catching Naruto and Jellal off-guard. Seeing how much the little girl wanted to get the pendant and the effort that the boys were trying to comfort her, the merchant then said,

"Now, now. You don't have to cry, my dear," Wendy still continued to cry as she rubbed her eyes to stop the tears from flowing, "Tell you what, I can lower the price down for you three by 50% if you want."

The three raised their heads to look at the merchant with surprise as Wendy was now sniffling lightly as she stared at the merchant. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the man's proclaimation so he cautiously asked,

"50% for this thing? Are you sure that you want to reduce the price so easily?"

"It is alright. I don't usually do this but for the little lady here," he glanced at Wendy with a gentle smile as he looks up at both of her male companions, "I think I can make an exception this once."

"So if the price's reduced by 50%, then the pendant costs 750 jewels then. That should leave us with 1100 jewels after we get the change."

After hearing Jellal's explanation, Naruto gives the merchant the 1000 jewels as the merchant gives him the dream catcher along with the change of 250. Wendy happily took the pendant from Naruto's hands as she then bows down to the man in gratitude,

"Arigato, mister." Wendy said happily as she noticed Naruto and Jellal smiling and began walking away. Wendy ran after them while the merchant chuckled in amusement at the girl's behavior and said,

"You're welcome, little lady. And enjoy the rest of your visit here."

Naruto and Jellal slowed down for Wendy to catch up to them with her pendant in her tiny hands. As the two boys resumed walking and looking left to right for a local food stand, they didn't notice Wendy was too transfixed in her new pendant that she was starting to lose track of them. Jellal spotted a fruit stand to the left so he turned to his right to tell Naruto but he then noticed Wendy wasn't at their side.

"Hey Naruto, hold on a minute." The blonde turned to look at his companion when he noticed that Wendy wasn't with them.

"Wasn't she with us? Please don't tell me that she's lagging behind just to look at her-"

"Oof!"

Both Naruto and Jellal turned their heads to the direction of the sound and saw Wendy on the ground. She seemed to have a tearful expression as the pendant she was holding is now lying at her side. They turned their attention to the girl standing in front of the fallen Wendy. Wendy looked up to the person she bumped into and started to get frighten at the emotionless gaze staring right at her. Despite being frightened, Wendy had a good look at the older girl: she seemed to be around Jellal and Naruto's age and had long black hair that reached to her back. Her clothing seemed to contain of a white hairband over her bangs and a dirty pale lavender sleeved-kimono tied around her torso with a brown obi complemented with a white ribbon tied in the back. She was also barefooted and what caught Wendy's attention the most was the golden-yellow horns protruding from the sides of the girl's head. The girl also had a strange dotted symbol on her forehead but it was hidden by her bangs.

"Wendy, are you alright?" Jellal said worriedly while running to both Wendy and the older girl. Naruto followed right after Jellal but stopped after a few steps when he overheard some comments from the observing villagers,

"Look; it's her, the demon."

"She really does like to show up at the worst possible time."

"The poor child, to think that the dear had to come across _that demon_ now of all times..."

Naruto took a glance at every one of the villagers watching and he noticed how every one of them was hatefully glaring at the horned girl. Jellal approached the two as he helped Wendy up and gave her the dream catcher she dropped,

"Are you okay, Wendy?" Jellal asked immediately as he looked at the girl with worry in his eyes.

"I'm okay, Jellal." Wendy said but soon turned her attention to the older girl and bowed down apologetically, "Sumimasen, I was paying too much attention to my new dream catcher that I didn't see you coming; I'm really sorry, miss."

Jellal smiled at Wendy's honest apology but like Naruto, Jellal began to notice the tense atmosphere and the glances that were directed at the horned girl in front of them. The blue-haired boy glanced to his friend and saw that Naruto wasn't liking how the villagers were staring at the girl with hate so he took one look at the girl and became shocked at her expression. Unlike the emotionless gaze she had before, Jellal and Wendy noticed her eyes soften briefly but surprise began to take over while she stared at both of them. She took one last look at the two of them before walking past them and ignoring the comments the villagers were giving her,

"That's right, get out of here!"

"I don't even understand why the chief doesn't get rid of her. It'll save us a lot of trouble."

"She's too dangerous to stay here; especially after what happened last night."

"Damned demon, she must really think that she could just roam out here wherever she wants."

Wendy took a glance at the girl as the latter kept walking away with emotionless eyes. Seeing the confusion in her eyes, Jellal gently took Wendy's wrist and guided her back to Naruto who was also watching the demon girl. Unlike the confusion in Wendy's eyes, Naruto seemed to have some sort of curious expression in his eyes but underneath it all, Jellal knew that Naruto wanted to help her out for some particular reason.

"I don't get it, Jellal," The blue-haired boy turned his gaze down to Wendy as she looked up at him with the same confused eyes, "Why are the people here saying bad things about her?"

Understanding her confusion, Jellal only held the girl's wrist in affirmation while glancing at the direction the girl walked in,

"She must've done something to drive the villagers here to hate her. Other than that, I'm not quite sure, Wendy."

Wendy's expression soften which started to sadden at the harsh treatment that the older girl was receiving. She turned to look at Naruto and noticed the same expression he had that Jellal noticed in him. Jellal loosened his grip on Wendy's wrist as she walked up to Naruto with questioning eyes,

"Naruto-san, Naruto-san." The little girl waved her small hands in front of the older blonde, snapping him out of his trance, "Are you going to go after her, Naruto-san?"

Naruto looked down at Wendy and saw the look in her eyes, then he lifted his head to see Jellal's expression. Seeing the neutral but curious expression in his gaze, Naruto's expression soften as he said,

"I don't think it's the best idea now, Wendy," Naruto shook his head as he answered Wendy's question, "Considering we're the center of attention as of this moment."

The three of them noticed that most of the villagers went back to their normal activities while there were some that were now watching them. Jellal gently grabbed Wendy's wrist as they along with Naruto started to head out of this part of the village.

"Let's just go; like Naruto already said, we dragged enough attention onto us already."

Pulling gently on Wendy's wrist, he along with Naruto guided Wendy out of the market section of the village and moving onto the rest of the village. But, as they made their way from the observing audience; Ōhei along with his friend and the man from before managed to get a glance of the group as the former turned to the armed man with a questioning look,

"Are you sure that using the brat as bait is really going to work?"

"Oh, she will," The whitish-blue haired man smirked after answering, "All we gotta do is to get her to convince one of her companions to lure out the demon defenselessly."

The man crazily laughs to himself while Ōhei lets the answer sink in and laughs along with their new associate. Daiki, on the other hand, silently watches the three companions getting farther and farther away and starts to reconsider about his opinion towards the demon girl after seeing the blonde's expression.

* * *

After what seemed to be hours of walking around the village, the three have managed to stock up on food that wasn't ramen, much to Naruto's dismay. While they were walking, Wendy noticed Naruto had a stoic expression that wasn't like his energetic self. At first, the little girl thought that he was upset about not getting any ramen but she realized that it was a lot more complicated than that as they were walking in the village. So in order to understand on what Naruto's thinking, she turned to Jellal and pulled on his sleeve,

"Jellal, why does Naruto-san have that expression on his face now?"

Upon hearing Wendy's question, Jellal turned to see his friend's face gain some kind of scowl. Realizing _who_ was on Naruto's mind, Jellal chuckled a little too loudly at his friend's predicament, snapping Naruto out of his trance.

"I'm sure Naruto's just thinking about that girl you bumped into, Wendy," Jellal said amusingly, ignoring the protesting rant from the whiskered blonde, "Although, I don't blame him; I'm just as curious as Naruto is about her."

Wendy just stared at both Jellal and Naruto with puzzled eyes while the thought of the girl from before began to make her curious as well,

"I really wanted to be friends with her..." Jellal and Naruto turned their attention towards Wendy as they kept on listening to the girl's thoughts, "She seemed to be really lonely and I... "

"It's alright, Wendy, I wanted to befriend her just as much as you but," Naruto interjected as his lips began to curl up into a smile but faltered right after he thought of something, "I'm more curious about her magic energy though."

"Why are you curious about her magic energy? The way you're talking about it right now makes it seem like her magic's evil or something." Jellal said as he saw Naruto's expression and what made the former start to believe in his mentioned statement was what his friend just said,

"I guess it's something like that; but now that I'm thinking about it now," the blonde's eyes widened as he remembered sensing a similarity between the girl's energy with Chakra, "It feels touchable just like Chakra but there's something about that girl's magic I can't even comprehend..."

"So, you're saying that her magic is the main reason why she's being outcasted by the villagers, Naruto? Now that you've mentioned it, the villagers did said something occurred with her last night..." Jellal said while Wendy looked between the two of them with a mixture of confusion and concern.

"Well, aren't you kids well-aware of the situation here..."

The three companions turned their heads around to find the whitish-blue haired man standing behind them with a genuine smile as he approached them. Despite the smile on his face, Jellal automatically stepped in front of Wendy while Naruto looked at the man with questioning eyes.

"Who exactly are you? And why the sudden interest in our conversation?" Jellal calmly warned the stranger, causing Wendy to completely hide herself behind the older boy.

The older man was slightly startled by the tone in Jellal's voice as he raised his arms in defense while he was still smiling at the three of them,

"Whoa, easy there, little man." The man said in a reassuring manner, "You all were conversing amongst yourselves so casually that I couldn't help but overhear a bit of it."

Even though the man was trying to be reassuring at the moment, Naruto and Jellal couldn't help but notice something odd in the man's tone. Somewhere in the man's voice, the two boys swore they heard a slight change in his voice from annoying to reassuring. Not noticing anything wrong about the man, Wendy slightly shown herself to the man before as she looks at him and the giant shurikens with frightened eyes,

"Excuse me, mister, but who are you?" The man dropped his arms as he now looked at Wendy with a friendly expression on his face while Naruto and Jellal continued to observe the man carefully.

"Me? Well, I'm just a passing mage hired by the villagers to get rid of the residing demon here." The man replied back to Wendy's question with a smile which caused Naruto to step up to the man with cautious eyes, surprising both Jellal and the whitish-blue haired man.

"Demon? What exactly are you trying to imply about that girl?"

The wandering mage began to sense Naruto's magical energy and he was overwhelmed by the large amount of magic in the boy's body,

_"This brat... No doubt, being this close to him now, he must've some kind of extraordinary magic to be able to have such a large amount of ethernano. This just makes my plans even more convenient..." _The man thought to himself as he looked at Naruto with an apologetic look on his face,

"Implying? I'm sorry, but I didn't mean to call that girl out like that. I was just going with the job description that my clients gave me about the demon they wanted me to slay, that's all. I was supposed to keep this a secret but I suppose that my clients wouldn't mind that I tell you kids about it."

The man slightly bended down to Naruto's and Jellal's height and said in a whispering voice,

"According to my clients, the girl was dropped off at this village by a strange cloaked woman when she was only a little child. The villagers only ignore her is because of how they were recovering from the loss of many innocent lives that were stolen by a loose demon in the area. Even though the demon was slain by the former chieftain of the village, there was still hatred among the villagers for demons in general. The girl was no exception because of her 'demonic' features and so the villagers tried to resort to violence until the current chieftain refused it at all cause."

While Wendy was both confused and upset after hearing the story, Naruto and Jellal weren't too shocked with how the villagers despise the girl. After witnessing the hateful stares along with hearing the comments from the villagers, both of them came to the same conclusion of how the villagers were tempting to attack the girl for just existing. After noticing their expressions, the man stood back up and begins to walk away from them until both teens saw the man stop and slightly turning his head back to look at them,

"I'm sure that you want to find the girl for yourselves but I wouldn't meddle in the village's affairs. It'll just bring unwanted attention to yourselves from the villagers who want her dead and gone." The whitish-blue haired man warned the two teen as he started to notice the slight change in Naruto's eyes.

Jellal saw the man's grin getting bigger while looking at his friend's expression which seemed to the same observing eyes. But when the blue-haired teen looked deeper into Naruto's expression, he saw a glimmer of desperation and he was about to lose control. And after a few seconds, Naruto quickly turned to the opposite direction with his bangs covering his eyes and he began to ran in that direction, much to Jellal's shock and Wendy's confusion.

"Naruto-san!" Wendy tried to reach out to the older blonde, but Naruto was too focused and far away to hear her. While Jellal felt Wendy clutch his leg in worry, the two didn't notice the glint of satisfaction in the man's eyes as he turned back around and resumed walking,

_"Just as according to plan, now onto phase two..." _

* * *

As the sun was setting off to the horizon, two men were walking on a pathway that was leading to the village that Naruto and his friends were currently at. One of the men had his black hair styled in a bowl cut as he wore a green unzipped flaked jacket over a green jumpsuit. What made him stand out from his companion was the fact that he also wore orange leg warmers over his opened sandals. His companion had spiky gray hair and was wearing a forehead protecter over a blue bandana tilted to cover his left eye. He wore the same green flaked jacket as his comrade but over a blue shirt and matching pants. For some particular reason, the lower half of his face, up to his nose, is concealed behind a dark blue face mask. Crickets were heard chirping in the atmosphere until the bowl-cut man suddenly jumped onto one of the fence posts nearby and pointed directly at the village in the distance,

"Yosh! The village is almost in our reach; pretty soon, our youth will shine even more once we commence our mission, isn't that right, Kakashi?" The bowl-cut man turned to his companion and saw the dozing expression on his face, creating somewhat of an awkward silence. A few seconds later, Kakashi snapped out of his trance and looked stoically at the man,

"Huh? Did you say something, Guy?" The gray-haired man said lazily, causing the bowl-cut adult to fall off the fence with an exaggerated expression of shock on his face. The now-named Guy quickly recovered as he suddenly reappeared next to Kakashi as both of them were glancing at the same thing,

"So, according to the travelers we asked on the way here, they said that our wanted man went into this village?"

Guy turned to his side to see Kakashi pull out some kind of tattered poster that had not the words "**Wanted: Mizuki of Konoha**" but it also had a profile picture of the same whitish-blue haired man from before. The latter looked from the village to the sheet of paper in his hand and back when Kakashi's expression slightly turned shocked after sensing something in the atmosphere,

"Yeah, Mizuki should be in the village, but... there's something that I need to check out after we capture Mizuki." Guy noticed the sudden change in Kakashi's eyes and he realized what the gray-haired man was thinking.

"Kakashi, are you thinking about-" Guy started to say until Kakashi slowly shook his head while putting the poster in his hands away. The latter began to walk towards the village as he was thinking about the feeling he sensed in the air while Guy followed soon after,

_"This feeling... I never thought that it actually still exist. But this chakra and magic signature... I have no doubt: Minato-sensei's son is alive..."_

* * *

_End of Chapter _

**Like I said before, due to a bad case of writer's block along with a lack of inspiration these past few weeks; this chapter that I wanted to work hard on had to be split into two chapters. But despite that, I was at least able to devise a main plot line for the story so I don't have to stress with coming up with any randomness as I write this story. All I have to do now is to make it more original because right now, it's heavily implied onto both Naruto and Fairy Tail canon. So with that in mind, I apologize once again if the chapter doesn't really satisfied anyone of you readers but I'll try to get my creative style back into action.**

**Thank you for reading and please review on what you think of this chapter.**


	8. The Demon and the Fox Part 2

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 7: The Demon and the Fox Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail. All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima.

* * *

_August X777, _

_*pant, pant*_ "_Dang it; out of every location in this village, where could she be at?_" Naruto tiredly thought to himself as he caught his breath.

After sprinting from Wendy, Jellal, and the stranger, Naruto practically ran all over the village, looking for the girl. Despite learning how to sense any kind of magic or chakra, he couldn't get any trace of her presence. It was almost as if the magical power she emitted wasn't magic nor chakra. Naruto spotted a nearby tree that seemed comfortable to regain more of his energy. After he sat down, the young blonde noticed that the sky above was beginning to change from evening to nightfall.

A few minutes had passed when Naruto heard some rustling in the bushes behind the tree he was resting on. Naruto slowly got up from his spot near the tree when a young lady with long mahogany-red hair stepped out from the bushes nearby. She seemed to be either in her 20s to early 30s while wearing an elegant white kimono with the sleeves separated from the actual outfit. The torso area of the kimono is wrapped with a red ribbon and her hair was tied in a high ponytail with decorative pins sticking out at the top.

Naruto noticed a basket hanging over her right arm while smelling a delicious smell from it. Unfortunately, his stomach had other ideas when it let out a loud grumble, much to Naruto's embarrassment. The elegant lady also heard the loud grumble, causing her to giggle while making the young blonde even more embarrassed,

"Argh; why does it have to be hungry now of all times!?" Naruto grumbled to himself while clutching his stomach. The young lady still continued to giggle at the blonde's antics, finally catching his attention,

"Um... Who are you exactly, lady? And what's with the basket?" Naruto cautiously asked while ignoring the growling from his stomach.

"This?" The young lady stopped giggling as she lifted the basket for Naruto to see, making the young boy affirmably nod, "It just has some leftovers from the dinner I had with my brother and his right-hand guard. My name's Atsuko; what's your name, Ouji-chan?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow at the notion of being called "Ouji-chan" but he ignored it for now and introduced himself,

"I'm Naruto; Naruto Uzumaki." The young blonde replied with a cheeky smile, making the young lady smile as well. "Say, have you seen a girl with long black hair and two gold horns by any chance?"

"A girl with gold horns... Oh, you must be referring to Sayla-chan!" Atsuko happily replied. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the answer so Atsuko decided to elaborate it more,

"Sayla's the girl that you're looking for. And what a coincidence too, I was on my way of delivering this to her." The young maiden said while Naruto glanced back at the basket again. He quickly looked back up to ask Atsuko a particular question,

"So you really don't see this Sayla just as a demon, but as an actual kid like me?" Naruto asked in a straightforward manner, slightly shocking Atsuko with his question. After looking deep into his eyes, she realized that he wanted to know more about Sayla from her perspective. So she closed her eyes and took a deep breath to gather her thoughts altogether. She reopened her eyes after she calmly exhales and then looks directly into Naruto's eyes,

"Seeing that you're out here looking for Sayla-chan, you must've seen the treatment that she had to endure, am I right?" Naruto nodded in response while Atsuko continued her explanation,

"Well, to be perfectly honest, I was just as hateful to her just like the villagers. After all, she was dropped off here when we were just free from a rampaging demon; so it was natural to direct our hatred towards her. But when my brother, the current chieftain, banned any violence against Sayla-chan, I decided to go against my brother's wishes and get rid of her myself."

"So why didn't you?" Naruto interjected as he was processing everything into his head, "I can understand that a demon caused this village to lose people and she wasn't human at all. So it seemed natural to target the closest thing to the beast responsible for everything; what made you change your mind?"

Atsuko smiled at the young boy reminiscently as she answered the boy's question,

"When I confronted Sayla-chan, I was just on the verge to stab her heart when I made eye contact with her. As I was looking in her eyes, I saw something that I would never imagine a demon like her would have. Maybe it was because that she had an appearance of a child that she could also have the feelings of one as well, who know? But when I looked in her eyes, her soul, I saw absolute fear and loneliness emitting from within her." Atsuko said as she remembered her confrontation with Sayla years ago,

"Back then, I thought it was mere trickery that any demon would've resorted to so I decided to retreat. After I got back to my home, the feelings I saw in her eyes kept egging me and no matter what I did, they didn't go away. So I decided to think things through her eyes and later rationalize them with my brother's own feelings. It was then that I understood the reason why my brother and father wanted to help Sayla-chan. They weren't attracted to her bloodline nor her appearance: it was the essence of her heart. After realizing that, I decided to amend for my foolish decision by following in their footsteps and helping Sayla-chan in any way that I can."

Even though he didn't know the feeling of being despised, Naruto couldn't help but feel empathetic for her since he knows the feeling of loneliness all too well. But instantly, he remembered about the man hired to assassinate Sayla by two villagers so he asked Atsuko,

"Atsuko-san..." Naruto said with the honorific Wendy told him to use with adults, "I know the chieftain banned the villagers from harming Sayla. But what about for someone not from this village?" Atsuko tilted her head in confusion while giving the boy a look to elaborate, "Because my friends and I met this guy who said he was hired by two villagers to assassinate Sayla himself."

Atsuko let out a horrified gasp and dropped the basket in the process. The young blonde swore that Atsuko muttered something to herself until she kneeled down to his height. She placed both hands on his shoulders as she looked into his eyes with a serious expression,

"Listen to me, Naruto-kun," Atsuko began to speak in an authorized tone, "I need to get back to the village and warn my brother of this treason. I need you to keep heading north of here and you'll be in the meadow that Sayla-chan's home is located. And when you do meet Sayla-chan,"

Naruto remained silent as he listened to the older lady's words. Even if she was staring into his eyes with pleading eyes of her own, Naruto had already made his choice regardless of the circumstances,

"Please protect her. Even though my brother, his vassal, and I treat her like a normal child, Sayla-chan deserves someone who can support her and treat her the same way as we do. And I can tell... that you're strong and you can somewhat understand on what she has to deal with. I know you can it, Naruto-kun; so please, protect Sayla-chan and become her friend, I beg of you!"

Naruto stared into Atsuko's determined eyes while feeling his heart making the choice for him. He gently took the older maiden's hands off of himself as he turned around to the north. Before he began to head off to the meadow, he managed to say,

"I will, dattebayo." Naruto said in a serious tone and ran off soon after. Atsuko felt a weight lifting from her shoulders when she heard Naruto say those words. Wasting no time, the mahogany-red haired maiden ran back in the direction to the village so she could find her brother and his aide to assist Naruto.

Unnoticed by both Naruto and Atsuko, the now-named Mizuki overheard the entire conversation since the beginning via camouflage. He undid the spell to blend with a nearby tree as he grappled one shuriken from the strap over his back. He quietly but hastily began to tail behind Naruto while thinking to himself with a sinister smirk on his face,

_"Soon, pretty soon... I'll gain the perfect gift that I could give to Orochimaru-sama for giving me the power I always wanted..."_

* * *

As the night sky brightens up from the full moon, both Wendy and Jellal are resting near the full depths of the forest. They spend the rest of the day looking for Naruto because they knew that he was looking for the girl from before. So they decided to find the man that they met earlier but to their dismay, the man was nowhere to be found. Since that failed, the two of them decided to ask the villagers instead but all that they could get about the girl was either negative opinions or gentle excuses. This lead to their current location as Wendy was fast asleep on Jellal's lap while he sat in front of a tree stump. Jellal adjusted his position a little by leaning his back onto the stump, making sure that Wendy could sleep comfortably.

Feeling exhausted himself, Jellal closed his eyes so he could sleep as well. But then, Jellal's eyes quickly re-opened when he heard giant footsteps beginning to get closer to him and Wendy. The young boy eventually saw two abnormally large men stop right in front of him to get a good look at him. Both men seemed to be really obese but one of them was shorter than the other one and much more paler. The shorter man also had a goatee while the other one didn't have any facial hair at all. They were both wearing similar open vests, clogs, and pants; their ponytails, on the other hand, are very different as the shorter man's was more spiker while the larger one was normal looking.

As Jellal gently picked up Wendy in his arms, he dodged a powerful punch from the larger man that destroyed the tree behind him. Jellal managed to regain his balance while holding Wendy as he heard the two men happily chuckling at his predicament and were now observing him with smiling faces,

"Ne, Fūjin-onīsan." The bigger obese man questioned his brother, "Is he the kid that Mizuki-sama wants us to kill?"

"Well, Raijin, the kid has blue hair, brown eyes, and a tattoo over his right eye. And the kid we're looking for has those features," The shorter obese man said to his brother, "So yeah, this kid is the one Mizuki-sama wants dead."

_"Who's this Mizuki? And why does he want me dead?"_ Jellal thought to himself when he overhead the details for his apparent murder from the two men in front of him. The young boy was also noticing that despite their lack for a brain, they clearly have sheer strength to replace that small factor. When Jellal started to slowly backed away from them while he had the chance, Wendy began to move in his arms, much to his dismay.

"*_yawns* _Jellal?" Wendy cutely yawned out as she looked at Jellal with drowsy eyes. Noticing that the older boy looked down at her with anxious eyes, she began to slowly become more awake, "What's going on, Jellal? Why are you looking so-" Wendy tried to finish her questions until chuckling from the two men caught her attention, causing her to be scared of their appearances after taking one glance at them.

_"Not good... I can't ward them off while holding Wendy like this... I have to get away from here; otherwise I'm going to end up like that tree.." _

Jellal felt Wendy grasp his collar in fright when he saw Raijin towering above them. The young boy managed to dodge the obese man's punch at the last second until the other brother decided to start attacking as well. While Jellal managed to dodge the attacks while ensuring Wendy's safety, the two men kept on with their relentless attacks with no worries at all. Just when Jellal managed to find a way to hold Wendy while wielding his staff, the brothers slammed their fists into the ground, creating a wide-areal shockwave. Despite the speed of the shockwave, Jellal managed to cast a spell which turned him and Wendy into mist. The shockwave then passed right through them while the two obese men just watched everything that transpired

"Ooohhh... Fūjin-onīsan, that boy and girl just turned themselves into steam!" The larger obese man happily exclaimed to his older brother.

"You silly, Raijin," The shorter obese man said while the transformed Jellal and Wendy drifted away unnoticeably in their transformed state, "They're not steam; they turned into mist. Steam only appears when water is boiled to a very high temperature."

"Oh thanks, Fūjin-onīsan; see, that's why you're the smart one." Raijin praised his older brother.

However, the happy atmosphere suddenly vanished when,

"Ne, Fūjin-onīsan, I think the boy and girl might've snuck away from us. Do you think they want to play hide-and-seek with us?"

Silence began to take over in the atmosphere as the residential crickets started to chirp. While this was going on, the brothers just stared blankly into the direction where Jellal and Wendy drifted away in.

"Yeah Raijin, I think they're playing hide-and-seek with us right now." Fūjin answered his brother's question while breaking the awkward silence for a second.

The crickets began to chirp even louder and louder soon after, until approximately ten seconds later,

"**HEY NO FAIR! BOTH OF YOU CAN'T JUST RUN AWAY AND HIDE LIKE THAT!**" Both brothers yelled out loud in the night atmosphere while continuing to complain, "**WE'RE SUPPOSED TO PLAY ROCK-PAPER-SCISSORS TO DECIDE WHO'S HIDING!**"

* * *

Following Atsuko's instruction, Naruto continued to run deeper into the thick forest. After what seemed to be forever in Naruto's mind, he exited out of the forest and into a wide meadow. The trees and bushes seemed to be encircling the entire meadow as Naruto explored the area. The young blonde then came across a strange formation of rocks that were supporting a giant tree from underneath. He had his eyes on a decent-sized opening when he heard pebbles tumbling down from the grotto. He turned to see small pieces of the grotto fall off from the left side of the formation.

Naruto started to turn back around to the grotto's entrance, only to come face-to-face with the girl from before,

"Whoa!" The young blonde jumped back startlingly, making him fall on his bottom in the process. Getting back up, Naruto was trying to know how she managed to sneak up on him without him noticing. But now that he was close enough, he noticed that she was observing him rather closely. Getting somewhat creeped out by the silence, Naruto decided to talk first,

"Um... hi. Do you know who I am? I know we didn't interacted back at the village but you met my other friends: the little girl and the tattooed-eyed boy."

Sayla's emotionless expression didn't waver in the slightest, creeping Naruto out a bit. Much to his relief, she did slightly nod her head to answer his question. Tension had begun to rise in the atmosphere as Sayla continued to stare at Naruto, much to his dismay. But, it also allowed the young blonde to examine the female demon's soul, just like what Kurama began to teach him prior to the _Tailed Beast Ritual (Bijū no Saigai)._ After what seemed a "long" time in Naruto's mind; for some particular reason, Naruto was starting to feel entranced from seeing her appearance. Remembering the current situation, Naruto snapped out of his stupor and continued talking,

"I've heard about how the villagers despise you because you're a demon." Sayla slightly squinted her eyes in anger when she heard Naruto's word but kept on listening to the blonde, "But, despite knowing you're not human; I can't see someone as hurt as you really be a demon."

The female demon stood in front of Naruto in shock while the blonde began to finish his honest speech,

"Sure you have those horns sticking out but it isn't so bad. Well, to me anyway. In fact, I think they look really cool on you; especially when they also compliment that tattoo on your forehead." The young blonde placed his arms behind his head while he gives Sayla a cheeky smile.

Silence engulfed the atmosphere of the night while Sayla stared at the boy in front of her in shock. She looked even harder into his cheerful exposure and she didn't see any conceit in his smile. Still feeling doubtful about the boy, she retained her emotionless expression and glared at him firmly,

"Do you honestly mean that?" Naruto stopped smiling and looked at the demon in confusion, "You may say these touching words and make yourself very honest about everything. In the end, how can I tell that you're not deceiving me like everyone else?"

"Everyone else?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the demon's words but felt frustration course through his body, "What are you're saying?! Are you trying to tell me that everything Atsuko, her brother, and their father did for you was a lie?!"

"What does it matter if their actions are truths or lies; all humans are afraid of anything that they cannot apprehend. Demons like me are naturally hated by the human race. So tell me, what makes you think that Ichirō-sama, Atsuko-san, and Daiki-san weren't lying at all?"

Naruto gritted his teeth thoughtfully and angrily at Sayla's opinion. Even though he heard honesty in Atsuko's tale, he realized one thing after meeting Sayla. In the end, even with the treatment she gets from Atsuko and this Ichirō, she had already fallen into cynicism. When Naruto looked at Sayla once more, a spinning noise was emitting in the air. The young blonde instinctively lunged into Sayla, causing them to fall into the ground to avoid the incoming shuriken. While Naruto got back up, the female demon noticed the shuriken had wedged into the wall of the grotto when a slight chuckle was heard above them. Looking above them, Naruto saw a familiar face smirking at them in an avaricious manner.

"Hold on, you're the guy from-" The whitish-hair man began to laugh maniacally, abruptly interrupting Naruto's words,

"Well, well, well; you're really are a gullible one aren't you?" Mizuki stopped laughing as he stared down at the two with the same greedy expression, "Always thinking that you could be some of hero. But the truth is that you can't really save anyone if they don't want to be in the first place."

To say that Naruto was shocked was an understatement. Despite knowing that the man's nice and cautious nature was just a facade; he didn't imagine that the man could be this wicked. Turning his head slightly back, he saw Sayla get back up with her emotionless eyes. The young blonde then turned his head back up and shooting a defiant glare at the man while putting his index and middle fingers together in a cross,

_"Shadow Clone Magic (Kage Bushin no Mahō)." _

A magic seal appeared in front of Naruto's hand sign. A puff of smoke emerged behind Naruto and engulfed him and Sayla, obscuring them from Mizuki's sight. This didn't shock the man in the slightest bit; it just made him more curious about the boy himself,

_"Interesting... The brat can make Shadow Clones. Judging from the sheer amount of power emitting from him, he must've created a lot of them. Now then; let's see what else he could do." _

Mizuki got himself into a stance, ready for anything that would appear from the cloud of smoke. The smokescreen disappeared and revealed several Narutos surrounding the original Naruto and Sayla in a defensive manner. Upon seeing their defiant glares, Mizuki briefly crackled in a psychotically manner while unhooking another shuriken from his shoulder strap. Three clones leapt towards the man with their arms glowing orangish-red. Mizuki spun the shuriken around for a bit until a magic circle appeared slightly over it,

_"Ninja Tool Style: Shuriken Shadow Clone Magic (Ninguryū・ Shuriken Kage Bushin no Mahō)."_

Mizuki threw the shuriken towards the three clones as the shuriken was being encloaked in blue streams of magic. The clones smirked at the "pathetic" attack until the shuriken multiplied into several more shurikens, catching the clones off-guard. This led them to their downfall as the shurikens impaled them and a few others on the ground, making them poof in smoke,

"Keep on attacking, guys! We don't have time to be caught off-guard; we need to keep ourselves in order so we can stall for the boss' escape!" One of the clones said to increase the morale of the remaining clones. The clones shouted vigorously in sync as a few more clones leapt upward to Mizuki's location. While Mizuki was dealing with the Naruto clones; in the midst of the onslaught, the real Naruto grabbed Sayla's wrist and pulled her into the forest with him.

As Naruto kept on running with Sayla in tow, the young demon was puzzled as to why Naruto was still helping her. After deluding everything the blonde said prior to Mizuki's appearance, she would've thought he would just come up with another lie to save himself. But now when she saw the resolution in his gaze, all she could think about was,

"Why?"

Naruto heard the demon's mumble, so he slightly turned his head around while running. From what he could see, she was starting to feel unsure on what she feel at the moment so he decided to listen to what she had to say to him,

"Why are you still helping me? After everything that I've argued back at you, don't you feel any resentment towards me for making such assumptions to your claims?"

"No, not really." Naruto plainly said, adding more confusion in the demon's mind until,

"I mean, I can see why you would think that I was probably deceiving you. But when I feel like I need to help this person, I want to hear the full story so I can understand them better. But to tell you the truth," Naruto looked up to the moon while gathering his thoughts until something clicked into his head, "If I was in your shoes, then I would act the same as you because,"

"I have this strong power that I learned from a creature that people would consider as a monster. So in a way, I can be considered somewhat of an abnormality just like you." Naruto cheekily smiled once again to Sayla as she remained silent this entire time. Even though her eyes may seem empty before, but now; there's a mix of astonishment and understanding welling up inside her.

She didn't know why she was feeling like this; but maybe, just maybe: it had something with the blonde who was slowly breaking through her reclusive barrier.

* * *

In another part of the giant forest, a trail of mist seeped through the dense trees and bushes. Just when it phased through another tree, the mist merged together and Jellal and Wendy appeared in place of the mist.

"Jellal, who were those scary men from before?" The little blue-haired girl asked the older boy when he put her down from his arms.

"I don't know, Wendy..." Jellal cautiously looked all over the surrounding environment for the two obese men, "But just know I'll protect you, Wendy." The older boy then looked down at Wendy with reassuring eyes.

"Hai, arigatou Jellal." Wendy smiled for a brief moment before her eyes glimmered sadly, "Ne, Jellal. What about Naruto-san?"

Jellal's eyes widened from the girl's question as he too was starting to worry about the blonde's location. But knowing about Naruto's strength, Jellal's eyes soften while patting Wendy's head to comfort her,

"I'm sure that Naruto is fine. After all, he saved us when we were being chased by hungry wolves. He also offered us shelter and food when we needed it the most. Naruto may not be the sharpest person that I ever saw but his heart is a whole other story. We just got to have faith that he'll be alright, okay Wendy?"

The young girl stared in amazement at her guardian angel's belief in their newfound friend. It made her remember how he sympathized with her about her foster mother as he never knew his parents from a personal view. Besides that, Wendy began to feel reassured about Naruto's well-being when a glimpse of his goofy smile appeared in her mind's eye.

"Hai." Wendy nodded her head in agreement while copying Naruto's cheeky smile for herself, much to Jellal's amusement.

Just when Jellal didn't sense any danger ahead of them, a giant crash came down near them. Instinctually, Jellal wrapped his arms around Wendy when the impact send them flying a few feet. Clouds of dirt began to engulf the destroyed parameter until the two kids heard giant footsteps approaching. Jellal slowly looked up from behind when the footsteps got louder and saw the obese men from before, jovially laughing.

"Peek-a-boo, we found you." The bigger obese man gleefully exclaimed while Jellal cautiously began to back away with Wendy in tow. "Ne, Fūjin-onīsan. Can we eat something first before we kill them?"

"Sure we can, Raijin." The shorter one gleefully said to his brother, "Besides, I was just getting hungry from all of the running we just did."

While Raijin stuffed his hand into his right pocket, Jellal and Wendy hastened their paste. But when they got a few feet away, Wendy saw a raccoon-like creature jump out of a nearby bush, staring right at her upon sensing her looking at it. When Raijin managed to take out a small green bundle, he noticed that the young girl was staring at some sort of raccoon so he decided to ask his brother,

"Say Fūjin-onīsan. Isn't that a raccoon?"

"I don't know, Raijin. It doesn't have gray fur like most raccoons so I'm guessing it isn't a raccoon. Say Raijin, why don't we try to give it some of our food?"

"Yeah, that sounds like a good idea, Fūjin-onīsan." Raijin happily agreed as he completely opened the bundle while approaching the two kids and the raccoon-like creature,

"Hey, little fella. Do you want some of our food here?" The bigger obese man offered to the small creature in front of him.

This made the situation even worse for Wendy. Upon seeing the riceballs in front of it, the mammal used Wendy like a stool and leaped onto the giant man's hands. While the brothers were watching the mammal eat, Jellal noticed Wendy was starting to cry, much to his dismay. Just when Jellal was about to comfort her, the young child let out a magical-enhanced shriek, sending everyone flying from the twister created from her crying.

The brothers regained their ground seconds later, Jellal was send flying into the stump of a nearby tree. He got back up and began to push himself through the small tempest in order to get to the center. He found Wendy in the center of it and kneeled down in order to comfort her,

"It's okay, Wendy. It's okay..." Jellal gently caressed Wendy's hair in order to sooth her, "There's nothing to be afraid of now. The little animal was only trying to get to the food offered to it. It wasn't trying to hurt you or anything else."

The little girl began to calm down, causing the tempest to disperse. Jellal then noticed the brothers staring at the ground in front of them. More particularly, the flattened remains of their snack.

"Umm... Fūjin-onīsan... I think the little girl's crying caused me to drop our snack..."

"Yeah, I think it did cause you to drop our food, Raijin..." The older brother said while they continued to stare at the remains of their snack. The atmosphere tensed up again that it made the crickets' chirping more upbeat.

A moment later, the ground beneath the brothers sunk beneath their combined weight, pushing Jellal and Wendy back. Jellal managed to wrap his arms around Wendy to prevent her from being harmed by the backlash of the sunken ground. Thundering footsteps approached them and when Jellal turned his head towards the brothers, killing intent was all he could feel in front of him.

"_**YOU RUINED OUR SNACK!**"_ The brothers yelled out in unison, _**"NOW THE BOTH OF YOU ARE GOING TO PAY FOR DESTROYING OUR FOOD!"**_

_"There's so much murderous intent for a simple incident..." _Jellal thought to himself when he stared into the brothers' angry eyes. Just when Jellal got ahold of his staff with one hand while holding onto Wendy, Raijin was right above them with his fist risen over his head,

_"I can't block it in time!" _

Raijin's fist was about to draw closer towards them when Jellal heard something rustling in the bushes behind them,

"_Dynamic (Dainamikku)-__" _Jellal sensed another presence getting closer to their location; instinctually, Jellal pushed himself and Wendy to the ground just as a man leaped out of the bushes. Setting his sights on his target, the stranger then lunges himself in mid-air towards Raijin with his leg straight out,

_"Entry (Entorī)!" _The man exclaimed as his foot crashed into Raijin's face. The speed and strength of the attack send Raijin flying into Fūjin, making them tumble into a couple of trees. The stranger used the recoil of the attack to jump back and land in front of Jellal and Wendy.

"Thank goodness, I made it in the nick of time. Are the two of you unharmed?" The stranger asked in a relieved manner while keeping an eye on the two brothers.

Jellal lifted his head off of the ground and he saw the man was in some kind of fighting stance, probably keeping himself on edge in case the brothers made a move. He couldn't see his face but he saw that the man's hair was styled in a bowl-cut. He also wore the same jacket as the stranger over a green jumpsuit and complimenting it with orange leg warmers and blue-opened sandals.

"H-Hai. Thank you for helping us, mister."

The two obese men got back up, rubbing their heads in pain. The man straightened his pose as he continued to observe the two brothers. The young boy noticed that the man in front of him seemed to have little to no magic power. So what was this strange feeling that he had; it was almost similar to Naruto's power but unlike the man, Jellal could sense that Naruto also had magic in him.

_"What kind of person is this man? I can hardly any magic inside of him, so how could he kicked the two of them that far?" _

"Out of all of the people Mizuki could've used, it had to be these two..." The bowl-cut man said to himself out loud, catching Jellal and Wendy's attention,

"Um.. Do you know them, mister?" Wendy asked in a timid manner. Keeping his sights on the brothers who just snapped back to their senses, the man then said,

"Fūjin and Raijin. They're brothers whose intelligence isn't the greatest amongst other people and they're obsessive with food. And it's because of that obsession that makes them dangerous." The two kids looked at the man's back in confusion. Sensing their confusion, the man decided to elaborate, "There was a time when they actually killed their own teammates just because there was a small amount of food left only for a few men."

Even though the news was shocking and horrifying in Wendy's case, Jellal now realized why the brothers were about to kill them without a second thought. It was all because of Wendy blowing their snack away through her magic amplifying her crying. Sensing the boy's hesitation to help him out, the man turned his head around to look at Jellal with a reassuring smile,

"Daijoubou, you did your very best holding out against them. Just watch over the girl you have with you right now." The man gave Jellal a thumbs up and a sincere smile. He then turned back around to the brothers, his huge eyebrows squinting down to a serious face, "Rest assured. You can leave the rest to _Konoha's Sublime Beast of Prey, _Might Guy!"

The now-named Might Guy began to emit some of his dormant power, making the brothers tense up in anxiety. Not wasting any time, the brothers let out an angry cry as they charged at Guy recklessly.

"Yosh, ikōze!"

Like the brothers, Guy charged head-on towards the brothers with a calm but energized expression. Jellal and Wendy were shocked at how fast Guy ran. So shocked, that all they ever saw of him was when his legs parried most of the brothers' punches. The brothers were getting even more angrier at how they weren't able to land a blow on the lean man. Using the momentum of their opened punches to his advantage, Guy managed to trip Raijin by sweeping his leg into the latter's leg. Fūjin raised his hands over his head in an attempt to grab Guy, but he missed when the latter jumped in the air. Lifting one leg straight while in mid-air, Guy began to spin rapidly while Fūjin felt himself being dragged in closer by the wind current created from Guy's spinning.

_"Leaf Iron Tornado (Konoha Testatsumaki)!" _

When the shorter man was in close proximity, he felt himself being kicked by Guy's leg multiple times. As the obese man felt the twentieth kick hit, Guy increased the speed of the spinning and send Fūjin flying through one strong kick. Guy landed back on his feet after he stopped spinning when he felt Raijin grab and threw him a few meters. He spotted a tree in his trajectory so he used it as a spring and lunged himself back towards Raijin with his leg reclining backwards,

_"Leaf Strong Whirlwind (Konoha Gōriki Senpū)!" _Guy used the momentum of his soar and dealt a strong spinning back kick towards Raijin, sending him flying. As both brothers struggled to get back up painfully, Guy landed agilely on his feet once more while keeping his fighting stance.

"**Food...**" Both brothers began to chant in sync, "**You ruined our snack; you must pay...**"

"Rampaging over the loss of your snack I can understand but taking it out on these kids though," Guy was looking down so no one could see the disappointment in eyes until he looked up, "That's one thing my flames of youth can never turn a blind eye to!"

Guy squatted halfway down with his fists clenched at his sides, channeling power into his entire body. Even though Jellal knew this wasn't magic at all, but for some odd reason, he could sense the man's power beginning to increase tenfold. When the power had reached to a certain level, Guy quickly got back up and released all of that power at once,

"_First Gate of Opening (Saisho Kaimon),__ Open!"_

* * *

"Damn that brat... For a bunch of shadow clones, they were pretty crafty, even for me..." Mizuki mumbled to himself while locating both Naruto and Sayla. Even though the outlaw was able to dispose of the blonde's clones, he still took hits from the clones' attacks. He was especially curious in the clones' magic; it was brimming with immense power. It was almost as if their power had a mind of its own.

Even with all of the training Mizuki had, his impatience made him miss one spot. A very noticeable location to any kind of small mammal: a hollow size opening right at the roots of a giant tree. When Mizuki kept on getting farther and farther away, Naruto crawled out of the hole when Mizuki was far enough from them. He heard Sayla crawl out of the opening also so he turned to his left so he could tell her that it was safe. But when he made eye-contact with her, he saw the same emotionless eyes he stared into before minutes ago. But when he looked into those eyes a second time, he saw not mistrust but confusion and turmoil instead.

"It won't be long before he finds us again. But why," The demon reminded the blonde kid, regaining his attention. "Why are you so persistent on helping me? As you already know, I'm not human, I am a full-blooded demon. No normal human would ever see me as something else; just like those false gestures from Ichirō-san and Atsuko-san. No matter where I go, I'll be-"

Naruto grabbed the demon's shoulders, interrupting her self-doubt, "I already said this before, so I'll make myself clear this time," His jovial expression from before had adapted to that of a candid and no-questioning face. Sayla was stunned from his actions that all she could do was listening to what Naruto had to say.

"I may not know how it feels to be treated like some kind of outcast. Heck, I'm not even a demon myself; but I do know this much though for sure. Regardless of what you really are, I can't just ignore anyone that's in pain. Just seeing all of that negativity, it just makes me pissed off to see someone being treated like that! That's why I want to help you in any way that I can, so that you won't have to feel alone anymore!"

Sayla's eyes widened in shock as she kept on listening to Naruto's proclamation. Despite thinking that he could be fabricating his words again, another part of her believed that he was telling the truth. Taking in slow and heavy breaths, Sayla was about to reply until a familiar crazed voice interrupted,

"Well now, that was some speech you gave there, gaki." Naruto turned his body around and saw Mizuki sitting right above them on a tree branch, "It's too bad that I have plans for her. After all, she'll be the perfect gift to my master for giving me such amazing powers."

"Master? What the heck are you talking about!? I thought you said you came here to kill her by a villager's request!" Naruto yelled in anger at the whitish-blue hair man until he realized he remembered being suspicious of the man back in the village.

"Oh come now. You had that stare that made you see that I was bluffing. Well, I did, to not only you and your friends; those two villagers were also a part of that said bluff. My only reason for coming here was for her and her alone! Just imagine what a great scientist like my master could possibly achieve when he experiments with her demon blood and powers!"

Mizuki's face began to twist into that of an insane and obsessive person as he cackled loudly. Naruto was now clenching his fists in anger upon hearing Mizuki's declaration and insane laughter. The blonde was becoming enraged as the man kept on laughing in his wicked matter. To the point that the blonde was unknowingly leaking some of his uncontrolled magic into the atmosphere. Even though she could sense the blonde's power up close, Sayla noticed the boy's whisker-like marks becoming more wilder and his canine teeth getting sharper. Mizuki also noticed the magic leaking into the air as he then felt satisfaction and curiosity well up inside himself.

"Excellent. Your power's a lot more stronger than I anticipated. After all, there's no human alive today who could summon a platoon of shadow clones without splitting their magic evenly." Mizuki complimented the blonde's ability which he used one hand to dig through his utility pouch. He watched his opponents' movements and saw their curious faces when he pulled out a vial. It had some kind of greenish-purple liquid in it that reeks of strong magic power but not as much as Naruto's. The whitish-blue hair man removed the cork from the vial as he moved it close to his mouth which had a sinister grin on it,

"Now then, before I beat the both of you and present you to Orochimaru-sama; I want to thank you for entertaining me with your clones, gaki. By drinking this potion right here, I'll be able to do just that." Mizuki tilted the vial so the liquid could flow into his mouth.

Not taking any chances of letting Mizuki drink the entire potion, Naruto created two shadow clones and jumped upward with them at his side. When they got a few inches closer to the man, he had already finished drinking the liquid. His body released a large amount of magic, sending Naruto and his clones crashing back into the ground. The clones dispersed upon landing, Naruto got back up just to see Mizuki's body enlarging to that of a macho man. His bandana fell off of his head upon his enlargement; along with the shirt underneath his flak jacket ripped, leaving the jacket opened. His pants risen up to his knees while his sandals bursted open as black stripes appeared on his face and torso. A large skull tattoo appeared on his left forearm as the magic power emitting from Mizuki sunk back into him, making him viciously smile at Naruto after feeling the energy boost.

Naruto's eyes widened with shock after sensing and seeing the man's transformation. After taking in all in, Naruto sensed something familiar in Mizuki's magic signature after drinking the strange liquid, "What in the- His magical power! It feels almost too similar to those were-cat thingies I had to beat up sometimes during my trips to Takigakure!"

Mizuki suddenly disappeared, much to Naruto's shock as the latter tries to detect his magic signature. Two hands suddenly emerged from the ground beneath Naruto and grabbed him by his ankles. They tried to pull the blonde underground so the latter amplified his chakra into his ankles, burning Mizuki's hands in the process. The hands released Naruto's ankles as they burrowed back underground and Mizuki emerging from the ground. The man looked down and saw Naruto pull his arm back as it glows orangish-red.

"HYAHHHH!"

Naruto lunged upward to Mizuki and landed his punch on Mizuki. However, the older man was able to block it but noticed his arm was burned by Naruto's fist. Mizuki grabs ahold of Naruto and threw the latter a few meters away from himself and the demon. The blonde managed to soften his landing by digging his fingers into the soft ground. Mizuki smiled with anticipation as he knew that the young blonde was a capable fighter. After defeating an army of shadow clones the kid created, the assassin knew that this wasn't his full potential; not by a long shot. Out of the corner of his eye, the older man saw the female demon observing Naruto's movements. Much to his confusion, her eyes seemed to be fill with hesitation and it was probably connected with the whiskered blonde.

"I wouldn't worry about the twerp, demon. You'll be joining him soon enough."

Naruto shot back up after hearing Mizuki's words but he was knocked back down from one swipe of Mizuki's arm. Fortunately, he was able to block that hit but he wasn't able to counter the kick to his stomach. The blonde was sent flying into a nearby boulder, wheezing for air while coughing out a tiny bit of blood.

"Aw, what's wrong? Did you already run out juice already? I guess that's what happens when you waste your breath on meaningless baubles." The older man patronized the young blonde, earning him a vicious glare from the latter,

"Suit yourself. You must be a glutton for punishment if you can still stare at me with those hateful eyes." Mizuki dashed towards the weakened Naruto and threw a punch directly to the blonde's face. However, Naruto managed to block the attack by punching Mizuki's fist with his own, much to the older man's shock. All that Mizuki could do was watch the blonde begin to amplify both magic and chakra into his other fist,

"_Nine-Tailed Fox's Strong Arm (Kyūbikō no Kyōken__)__!_"

An apparition of Kurama appeared behind Naruto as his fist was engulfed in a swirl of red and orange energy. Mizuki's eyes began to widen even more out of fear when he saw Kurama's image. Naruto then used that enhanced fist and punched Mizuki in the ribcage, blasting Mizuki through a couple of trees and into a boulder. The boulder shattered upon impact while Mizuki landed face-flat on the ground. Naruto began to pant out of exhaustion, feeling his _Tailed Beast Magic (Bijū no Mahō) _healing his charred arm after using that attack.

Even though she was really close to the fight itself, her mind wasn't focused on the battle itself. It seems to be more focused on recalling the blonde's words to her. Slamming one hand onto the ground, Mizuki slowly began to get back up. Unlike Naruto though, he felt a couple of ribs broken and he had to press his free hand onto the burn mark to suppress the pain.

"Dammit brat. That was one hell of a spell you just used on me. I was fortunate to drink Orochimaru-sama's potion because if I didn't, I'll probably be in worse condition than this, such as being dead. But now, I know one thing." Mizuki said with a strained smirk,

"You're not a normal human, that's for sure, gaki. Or should I say, demon fox?"

Naruto became shellshocked upon realizing what the older man had called him. Even though he thought that using one Tailed Beast spell wouldn't cause any consequences, but he was dead wrong. To make matters even worse, it would seem that Mizuki is fully aware of what his magic could do.

"Oh, don't look so shocked now. After all, you're not the only person who has come across the Nine-Tails, right?" Mizuki smirked dementedly while watching the blonde become even more shocked.

"W-why? Why do-"

"Why do I know about your abilities, I may ask? Now that's a secret that I can't reveal to a brat like you." Mizuki began to laugh in an avaricious manner, making Naruto even madder at the older man. Sayla, on the other hand, snapped out of her trance when she heard "Nine-Tails".

_"Nine-Tails? Is that the reason why he's-" _Sayla thought in her head until a large magical spike snapped her out of her thought process.

Blue streams of magic was emitting around Mizuki like mist. The assassin began to laugh maniacally as he felt more power surging through him and felt his body changing once again. His body became covered in yellow/white striped fur and his ears were replaced with pointy cat-like ears.

"What in the- He transformed himself into a freaky cat-human!" Naruto was shocked to the point that his jaw dropped in an exaggerated manner.

"Surprised already?" Mizuki laughed at the blonde's comment towards his appearance, "Then this won't bother you at all." Mizuki stomped one ground into the ground, making it shattered. He reappeared in front of Naruto but then disappeared instantly, catching the blonde off-guard. Naruto was sent flying a second later and managed to turn his head up to the sky to see Mizuki descend towards him. Even though Naruto blocked the punch in time, the man's newfound strength made the ground beneath him break.

"What's wrong? Don't tell me that's all you've got to offer?!" Mizuki grabbed Naruto's arm and lifted him up while he remained air-bounded, "Or did you wasted all of your power with that one spell?!" Mizuki slammed Naruto into the ground with devastating force and lifted him up again just to throw him into a nearby tree. As Naruto slowly got back up, Mizuki approached him and kicked his callously from the fallen tree. Sayla saw Naruto stop in front of her after skidding towards her from that kick. Naruto was now clutching his stomach in pain, his magic started to slowly heal his injuries while Sayla was still hesitant on what to do.

"Do you really distrust people after everything you've been through?" Naruto slowly let go of his stomach while getting back up. The female demon kept her eye on him as he said, "Does selfless desires really bother you that much? If that's really the case, then I'll-"

Naruto quickly turned to Mizuki's direction and crossed his fingers again to summon a Shadow Clone by his side,

"I'll break down the barrier that you're isolating yourself into! I'll show you that some humans have a heart to care even for people like you! No matter how pain and suffering I have to endure for you to see the truth, my friends and I will do all that we can to help you out! Because that's my nindō, my solemn oath, dattebayo!"

"You..." Sayla's eyes widened in astonishment while a single tear unknowing dripped down on her cheek.

"Fuheheheh, You really are a naïve brat, aren't you?" Mizuki had his head down, his hair covering his eyes, until he looked back up at Naruto with a malicious stare,

"Regardless of how much you do to help this _demon, _humans will always despise demons regardless of them being friendly or not. In the end, demons are just the same to humans! Evil but potential creatures that always crave for superiority and destruction. So why don't you get out of my way?! Unless you want to offer yourself and that demon to me, then just stay down!"

Mizuki began running towards Naruto and Sayla, noticing the clone circulating his hands above the original's right hand. To his shock, a orange sphere of compressed magic and chakra, surrounded by red rings of energy, was being created in Naruto's palm.

"That spell... It almost looks like-"

"Oh yeah. I never introduced myself, didn't I?" The clone disappeared when the sphere expanded to the size of the blonde's head. Naruto turned his head slightly to look at the demon behind with a cheeky smile,

"My name's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto introduced himself briefly as he turned his attention back to Mizuki, his cheerful cerulean-blue eyes changing into angry crimson eyes,

_"Tailed Beast Secret Art (Bijū Ōgi)!" _Naruto began to charge towards Mizuki as he felt the weight of the sphere in his palm. Realizing the strength of the attack, Mizuki skidded to a stop and tried to avoid the attack by burrowing underground. But for some reason, he couldn't move his arms or hands at all. In fact, his feet seemed to feel like they were glued down to the ground. Now with an expression of mixed feelings in his eyes, all he could do was feel his body getting back up on its own just as Naruto thrusted the giant sphere into his damaged stomach,

_"Roaring Enigma: Spiraling Wave Bomb (Gōzen'nazo・ Rasenhadōdan)!" _

The giant sphere began to tear through Mizuki's damaged flesh, causing the man to yell out in severe pain. Naruto pumped more of his chakra into the sphere, blasted itself and Mizuki away. The spell teared through the ground as it took Mizuki on its course, eventually exploding when it got far enough. The explosion created a large torrent of wind to blow through the area while the blast took out most of the trees in the area. Both Naruto and Sayla held their ground as the backlash of the attack settled down with smoke rising from the destroyed area. The clouds of smoke and dirt cleared up, revealing a large crater with Mizuki in the center, lying on his stomach in severe pain.

"I don't know what was going on with him but," Naruto turned to look at the female demon behind him with a strained and tired smile, "I guess that was your doing, wasn't it?"

Naruto managed to express his goofy smile for a second before kneeling down in exhaustion. Due to his tiredness, he didn't catch any movement or words from her. But without him noticing, Sayla actually had a small smile on her face while her emotionless eyes softened.

"Damn it, gaki." The two of them turned their attention to Mizuki who managed to roll onto his back, "You've really done it now. You may have prevented my plans from being accomplished but I still have-"

"The cronies that you assembled from prison cells and bandit groups? I'm afraid that they've already been taken care of, courtesy of the village chieftain and some outsiders of course."

Naruto and Sayla looked to the right and saw another man around Mizuki's age. He seemed to be reading some kind of orange book while sitting on an abandoned log. He has a similar outfit to Mizuki prior to his transformation but with slight differences. For one, he wore fingerless gloves with metal guards and his headband was tilted to cover his left eye. Even with his lower jaw covered by some kind of mask, the weakened Mizuki recognized the man when he turned his head over to look at the stranger before them.

"Kakashi Hatake..."

* * *

_End of Chapter _

**I apologize for the extremely long wait. Even though I had the whole summer to write this chapter, but it would seem that I work better when I'm in university. Pretty odd, huh? Fortunately, I've begun writing the next chapter so it shouldn't be a long wait this time. But I do want to make this PERFECTLY clear; no matter how long this story may seem like it's on hiatus: it's not. I will continue this story no matter what, I just probably have very BAD writer's block or I'm trying to make the chapter more original but still contain canon elements. But university work comes first but at least this time, my schedule isn't too tight this time so I can still write during my in-between breaks.**

**Thank you for reading and please leave a review**


	9. Ties of Friends and Family

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 8: Ties of Friends and Family

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Fairy Tail. All of Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail is the property of Hiro Mashima.

* * *

_August X777, _

"So, this is where you've decided to strike next?" The now-named Kakashi questioned the weakened Mizuki, who painfully grunted in response.

The gray-haired man closed the book in his hand and took a glance at both Naruto and Sayla. Even though the masked man was staring right at them, the blond noticed that Kakashi's attention was mostly towards him.

"I take it that you were trying to capture these kids? For what purpose exactly? Although, I might have an idea; considering you did try to steal the _Scroll of Seals (Fūin no Sho) _from your own home."

"That's none of your business, Kakashi. If you really think that I'll just tell you my plans so easily, then you're wro-gawk!" Mizuki vomited blood as his skin was beginning to pour out steam. Kakashi squinted his eyes when Mizuki's body rotted until it was nothing but a decayed body, much to Naruto's shock.

"What in the- His body! He just rotted all of a sudden!" The young blond pointed frightfully at the withered Mizuki.

"Wh-what is this!? M-My body... What the hell did you do to me, you brat!?" Mizuki yelled at the blond morosely until he began to cough out more blood.

"I'm pretty sure it wasn't the boy's fault that your body rotted like that." Naruto, along with Sayla and Mizuki, turned their attention towards Kakashi when he suddenly appeared next to Mizuki, "This potion you have there wasn't a completed sample, wasn't it?" The masked man took out the empty flask from the weakened mercenary's jacket. Mizuki venomously glared at Kakashi and shouted out in a rasp voice,

"How would someone like you know anything about Orochimaru-sama's formulas?!"

"Orochimaru, huh? Never thought he would swoop this low just to test out a failed potion." Kakashi placed the empty flask into his pouch and stares stoically at Mizuki, "But it is Orochimaru after all. Results are the only things that man would seek out in any experiment of his."

"Why you-" Mizuki, fueled by rage, quickly stood back up but due to his mummified state, he fell onto his knees. Thin wires were beginning to coil around, restricting his arms in place.

"Now I believe that's enough out of you." Kakashi said as he pulled the wires that held Mizuki to make them even tighter, "Considering that most of the cells and tissues in your body have been destroyed because you drank that formula."

Mizuki angrily grunted as he was struggling to move. Regardless of how the man tried to capture them not too long ago, the young blond felt pity towards Mizuki's condition. After all, the man had gotten something that would make him stronger than anything that he imagined. But in the end, it would seems as though his desire for power had lead him to his own downfall.

"Oh don't you _dare _look at me with those pathetic eyes, you brat!" Mizuki venomously yelled out at the young blond, "Once I find a way to restore my body back to normal, I'll find you again and take you to Orochimaru-sama. And once I do, he'll praise me for my-"

Mizuki's rant was abruptly ended when he "slammed" himself into the ground, making Kakashi stumble forward briefly. All that everyone could heard from Mizuki was a measly "effort" as he laid there, face-flat in shock.

"Well, um... that was rather awkward. But at least we don't have to deal with his ranting at the moment..." Kakashi blinked at the "commotion" Mizuki just did.

"Please don't tell me that you actually made him do that, didn't you?" Naruto turned to the female next to him who slightly nodded her head in response, "I guess he... kind of deserved that..."

While Naruto stared awkwardly at Sayla, Kakashi heard the blond's words and begun to unnoticeably stare at the demon herself,

_"So this is the demon taking residence here... If I heard that boy correctly, she must have some kind of ability that controls the movement of either something or someone. Sandaime-sama would probably want to hear about this incident, more importantly-" _

_"Naruto-san!" _

The mentioned blond heard his name being called from his left. As soon as Naruto turned his head in that direction, he was quickly tackled to the ground by a small blue blur. Naruto chuckled upon recognizing who had knocked him to the ground as he saw Jellal approaching them in amusement.

"Hey Wendy, Jellal. Looks like you guys came out unharmed." Wendy got off of Naruto so that he could get back onto his feet to greet the two.

"I wish we could say the same to you though." The tattooed boy gestured to the injuries on Naruto's body. Wendy also noticed this along with the trail of blood from his mouth.

"Naruto-san, these injuries look too severe to ignore!" The young girl gasped with worry while Naruto shrugged it off with his usual smile, "Mou, Naruto-san. Grandeeney always told me that no one should be ignoring their injuries regardless of them being minor or not."

"Okay, okay. I get it, Wendy. I'm sorry." Naruto apologetically gestured upon seeing the girl's attempt at an angry face. Sayla, for some reason, found it amusing to witness her savior being scolded by a little child, "But you don't have to worry, Wendy. Watch."

Everyone but Wendy noticed the slight change in Naruto's magical power. It was moving on its own accord and begun to heal the majority of his wounds, much to everyone's curiosity.

"See, good as new-" Naruto tried to reassure Wendy after healing himself. That was until Jellal teasingly tapped his knuckles onto the blond's shoulder, "OW! Oi, Jellal, what the heck was that for?!"

"As convenient as that was, that trick of yours only healed the major parts of your injuries. The minor ones, however, still remain in tact."

"When my wounds are fully healed, Jellal, you are so-"

"Ah, there's nothing like hearing two good friends argue with each other. It becomes so inspiring that it makes me want to do 500 laps around the settlement."

Kakashi turned his head slightly around and saw Guy approaching them. What caught his attention the most were the two brothers walking right behind the enthusiastic bowl-cut man.

"Uh, Guy... Why exactly are both Raijin and Fūjin are following you like you just offered them food?"

"Why Kakashi, I thought you would never ask!" Guy exclaimed as he was smiling widely and giving the thumbs-up, much to the masked man's dismay. Naruto noticed the commotion and felt his eyebrow twitched when he saw Guy's teeth briefly shine for a brief second.

"You see, it first began after we met Ichirō-sama and fended off against the escapees and bandits Mizuki had rounded up from other prisons." Guy began his narration while thinking back, "When I made one of the bandits confess about Raijin and Fūjin, I began to look for them far and wide; knowing that anyone who didn't know them would unintentionally face their wrath. It was around that time that I met Wendy and Jellal over there upon saving them from the brothers. I managed to pin both of them down using the _First Gate _and that was when I learned why they've decided to help Mizuki with his plan."

* * *

"_So let me get this straight, you've only helped Mizuki because he promised you guys that there'll be a feast at Orochimaru's lair?" Guy questioned the two with a confused expression while the brothers were bowing down for forgiveness._

_"We're sorry. We really are sorry." Raijin apologized like a troublemaker caught red-handed for their pranks._

_"Please forgive us. We promise we won't do such a thing ever again." Fūjin said with fear in his voice._

_"How awful. I can't believe that nice man we met in the village could trick people like that." Wendy said while looking at the obese men with sympathy in her eyes._

_"Mizuki was a manipulative man; although I never thought that he would use these guys for his plans."_

_"I guess it comes to show that they really are obsessed with food..." Jellal commented at the brother's obsession with food._

_The bowl-cut man pondered on what to do with the dense brothers. Eventually Guy snapped his fingers when an idea struck in his head,_

_"Alright then, if the two of you come along quietly, we'll put in a word to double your meals back in prison."_

_"**MORE FOOD?!**" The brothers exclaimed in excitement as they suddenly stood back up, causing the ground to slightly shake. Wendy almost tumbled from the sudden backlash that came later. Jellal managed to grab ahold of her right before she fell down._

_"But first," Guy began to turn around in the opposite direction, "We need to find Kakashi and see if he has captured Mizuki."_

_"He's.. not that far away." The four males turned their attention to Wendy, making the girl somewhat embarrassed, "I mean, Mizuki's scent. He's somewhere to the southeast with Naruto-san." The little girl pointed in the direction behind them, catching Guy's attention._

_"His scent? Are you sure about that, Wendy?" The bowl-cut man questioned with uncertainty in his voice._

_"Daijoubou, Guy-san." Jellal patted Wendy's head in a comforting manner, "She may be a little girl but her nose can detect any smell she gets a whiff of."_

_"Her sense of smell... It's almost, if not, just as strong as the Inuzukas' noses..." Guy mumbled to himself, leaving Jellal and Wendy confused upon hearing his quiet mumbling,_

_"Yosh! Lead the way then, Wendy! We'll follow your sense of smell until the very end!"_

_"H-Hai..." Wendy said with a slight sweatdrop from Guy's overwhelming enthusiasm. _

* * *

"And that's basically what happened." Guy said with a proud smile while Kakashi stared blankly at the jolly bowl-cut shinobi. For some odd reason, Naruto felt an eyebrow twitched upon hearing the boundless energy from Guy's voice.

"So in short, Mizuki tricked both Fūjin and Raijin into helping him; just like the rest of his entourage..."

"By the way Kakashi," The silver-haired man noticed his companion staring at the restricted and mummified Mizuki, "I assume that happens to be Mizuki... What in the world happened to him?"

"He was chasing after me and Sayla." Guy, Jellal, and Wendy turned their attention towards the blond, with both blue-heads staring at Naruto in shock upon hearing his serious voice,

"He was going on about Sayla being a "perfect" gift for this Orochimaru person. During our fight, he drank some kind of potion that turned him into this freaky human-cat thingy. I managed to beat him in the end but he became like that because of-"

"The wounds he sustained from the battle but it's mostly from the formula he obtained from Orochimaru." Kakashi finished for the young blond, making Naruto somewhat peeved.

"So Orochimaru's behind all of this, huh... It didn't make sense as to why Mizuki did all of this at first. But now, the pieces are starting to come together bit by bit." Guy quietly spoke as he turned to Kakashi with a serious expression, "We should inform Sandaime-sama about this."

"I was already planning to, but more importantly-" The masked man replied nonchalantly as he glanced towards Naruto and Sayla with stoic eyes, making the blond uncomfortable and tense. That lasted for a brief second until Wendy interrupted Kakashi's observing and asks curiously,

"Who is Orochimaru?" The two adults turned their heads to the little girl as they saw her questioning gaze. Kakashi kneeled down to Wendy's height and stared into her eyes with his calm expression.

"He's a very dangerous criminal, little one." Wendy started to become afraid while Naruto and Jellal watched the masked man pat Wendy's head in a reassuring manner, "Daijoubou; there's no need for you three to be afraid. He's our problem after all so we'll take care of him with our bare hands." Even though it was really hard to see the expression on the man's face, Guy knew that Kakashi was smiling to comfort the young girl.

Kakashi lifted his hand off of Wendy's head and got back onto his feet. The silver-haired man pulled Mizuki's restraints, getting the man both awake and on his feet. Upon standing back up, Mizuki was now staring at Wendy and Jellal with caustic eyes,

"Well now, it looks like the both of you are still alive. I knew I should've sent someone else to do the deed instead..." Jellal took out his staff and pointed it at Mizuki while staring back at the man with tense eyes. That was until Wendy began to run towards Mizuki, surprising both Jellal and Naruto.

"W-wait, Wendy!" Jellal stretched his arm to reach towards Wendy but all he could do was to lower his staff while watching the little girl. As Wendy stopped a few inches in front of Mizuki, she stared at the mummified man in fright before raising both of her hands in front of Mizuki,

"W-what are you doing, you br-"A strange green glow emitted over Wendy's hands as it flowed into Mizuki's body. Everyone turned their attention to the young girl, watching her glowing eyes really closely. Their eyes widened in disbelief when Wendy's magic restored the nutrients in Mizuki's muscles and tissues, ridding him of the baggy wrinkles and giving him somewhat of his previous appearance.

"What in the- Kakashi, was that-"

"It's not impossible.. _Healing Magic (Chiyu no Mahō) _may be a rarity these days except for the _Mystical Palm Spell (Shōsen no Jumon)._But Wendy's spell feels really different in magical power. It's almost as if there was another presence inside of her spell..." The masked man commented on the situation after he regained his composure. The green light surrounding Wendy's hands disappeared before she began to tumble backwards when she felt her legs losing their strength.

"Wendy!" Jellal yelled out in worry as he just caught the tired girl in the nick of time. As Wendy's eyes closed to rest, Naruto was still staring at the young girl in shock as his mind was wondering if the spell Wendy used to heal Mizuki was a _Dragon Slayer _spell.

"M-my strength, I feel it..." Mizuki looked at his hands at first and then saw that his body was somewhat restored, "Foolish girl, you gave me most of my power back! Once I manage to find a way to restore my body completely, I'll-"

"SHUT IT, JERK!" Naruto bonked the restricted but restored man on the head with a chakra-infused fist, knocking the latter out cold once more.

_"No doubt... He definitely inherited his mother's short temper..." _Kakashi mentally thought in his head while slightly sweating in fear upon remembering the red-haired woman. He slightly shook his head to regain his composure when he noticed the blond tween was now observing him,

"Your name is Naruto, I assume?" The blond nodded in response while the masked man continued just as quickly, "The chieftain of this village wants to have a word with you after his sister, Atsuko, spoke with you."

Upon hearing Atsuko's name, Naruto's mind was beginning to overflow with so many questions that he felt his brain almost shutting down. He slowly regained his thoughts as the blond stared into the stoic eye of the masked man,

"So, besides Mizuki, you're also here to-"

"Escort you to him safely, yes." Kakashi saw the slight annoyance in his eyes so he began to reason with the boy, "Regardless of your healing factor, Naruto, your body still looks damaged from the battle you just had with Mizuki. But on another manner, it isn't just you that he wants to talk to you," Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion at Kakashi's words until,

"He also wants to speak to Sayla here about something as well." The masked man picked up the unconscious Mizuki and lugged the man over his shoulder as he began to walk out of the forest. Guy exclaimed something about "youth" as he and the obese brothers followed the masked man a few seconds later.

"We might as well follow them, Naruto." The aforementioned boy turned around slightly to see Jellal carrying Wendy on his back. "After all, the chieftain doesn't seem to hate demons, unlike the other villagers here."

Folding his arms over his chest in a pondering manner, Naruto was actually using his head on the matter. A few seconds later, he slightly nodded his head in agreement to follow the two men back to the village. When the two boy plus a sleeping child began to walk after the two adults until Naruto stopped suddenly and turned around to look at Sayla,

"Aren't you coming along?" Naruto looked directly at the female demon's eyes with questioning eyes of his own, "This chieftain wants to speak to you after all, dattebayo."

Jellal stopped walking when he turned around to see Sayla narrowing her eyes in hesitation after averting her gaze away from Naruto's. Noticing her behavior, Naruto walked up to her and grabbed ahold of her wrist, catching her attention as she looked at the hand holding her left wrist,

"You... You're really are something else, aren't you Naruto." The blond raised an eyebrow from the demon's sudden remark. Naruto goofily smiled a second later as he then said,

"You know it!" Naruto exclaimed while his goofy smile remained on his face, "Now come on, let's get going."

Jellal watched the blond dragging the demon back to the village and noticed the demon wasn't resisting at all. All that she did was speeding up her walking speed to the blond's as he was dragging her. Shaking his head in amusement, the tattoo-eyed boy adjusted his hold on Wendy as he began to follow after the energetic blond with a smile on his face.

* * *

After trending the forest outskirts for 20 minutes or so, the group arrived back at the village. The villagers weren't too happy upon seeing Sayla entering the village with the group. Even though Naruto wanted to say something, Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder: a silent gesture for the young blond to stand down and remain calm. They continued to walk pass the villager's hateful stare as Naruto and Jellal felt the pressure of their stares, only to feel those stares lifting for some reason. They sensed a small but noticeable change in the ethernano in the air and soon realized that Kakashi released a bit of his magical power to scare off the villager's hateful stares. Even though it was a small amount of Kakashi's magical power, Naruto couldn't help but feel slightly frightened at the man's power. The two shinobis along with the kids and the brothers stopped in front of an antiquated but exhaustive manor. Both Naruto and Jellal stared at the building in awe while Sayla felt uncomfortable being near the manor.

"*yawns*" Naruto and Jellal turned their heads towards the girl Jellal was carrying on his back. She curled her hands and raised them to gently rub her eyes while Jellal adjusted his hold on the girl he was carrying. As Wendy was becoming more awake, the giant gates began to open up in front of them. A middle-aged man with shoulder-length mahogany hair and goatee emerged from the opened gates. Besides him were a young navy-blue haired man and a young woman with reddish-mahogany hair that Naruto recognized in an instant,

"A-Atsuko-san!" Naruto yelled out in surprise while the mentioned woman stifled a giggle until she composed herself soon after,

"Naruto-san, do you know her?" A drowsy Wendy asked in a tired voice. The blond was about to respond to Wendy's question, the middle-aged man walked up to Kakashi as the latter placed the unconscious Mizuki on the ground in a sitting position.

"So this is the man responsible for assembling those bandits.." Ichirō calmly said while observing the restricted man really closely, "Even though I'm aware of your occupation, Kakashi, it is still unfortunate to see what happens to those who stray too far."

While Wendy was keeping awake, Naruto and Jellal tried to listen to the conversation the two men in confusion until Ichirō noticed the two boys. He also noticed how Sayla regained her "calm and stoic" posture again but he knew better than anyone on how she was really feeling through her eyes.

"Some of the villagers won't fully agree to this but I thank you for capturing this man and his cohorts." The middle-aged man gazed sternly at the restricted Mizuki before Kakashi replied back,

"Actually, if there's anyone you should thank, it's Naruto here." The masked man placed a hand on the young blond's shoulder, "He was the one responsible for Mizuki's capture while protecting _her_." Kakashi motioned his head to Sayla as the masked man stepped back to let the mahogany-haired man approach Naruto to gratefully scuffle his spiky blond hair.

"Well then, on the behalf of both me and my sister, thank you Naruto." The chieftain smiled in gratitude while the young blond cheerfully smiled back in response,

"It was no problem, Ichirō, I was-" Naruto was to say something else but he instantly saw Wendy's scolding stare, "I mean Ichirō-san."

The mahogany-haired man began to chuckle when he noticed Naruto correcting himself just from one glare from a little girl. He recomposed himself when he saw the blond turn pink from embarrassment but Naruto managed to snap out of it and continued what he had to say,

"After hearing that guy talk about how he was going to capture Sayla to give to his master, it just... it just made me boiling mad. And the villagers were no different," Ichirō sighed quietly as he continued to listen to the young blond, " I heard why they hate her so much but what happened back then were the actions of one demon. Why should they despise someone who isn't related to the demon whatsoever?"

Sayla turned her head away tautly when Ichirō took one glance at her and then back at Naruto. Seeing the girl's expression, Wendy began to wiggle out of Jellal's grasps to which he complied a few seconds later. Everyone in front of the manor began to watch the innocent little girl use her tiny hands to grab one of Sayla's,

"It's going to be alright now. With Naruto-san, Jellal, and I here now, you don't have to feel shunned by anyone. Is that alright with you?" The young girl asked the female demon whom snapped out of her reclusive trance. Although Sayla felt slightly reassured from Wendy's comforting smile, she was becoming uncomfortable from the attention she was receiving.

"In any case," The chieftain began to speak once more, catching everyone's attention once more, "Naruto, Sayla. There's something that I must discuss with the both of you. As for everyone else, you may all stay and rest in the court-"

"There's no need for your generous offer, Ichirō-san." Kakashi raised his hand to kindly gesture his refusal for the offer, "We don't want to impose on you any longer. After all, there's the matter of escorting these three back to prison." Kakashi gently tugged on Mizuki's wired restraints while nodding over to the two giant brothers.

The chieftain nodded in understanding as he complied to Kakashi's refusal to his offer, "If that is what you wish, then I won't hold you to your commitment to finishing your mission. But be sure to give Hiruzen-sama my regards to him."

The masked man affirmatively nodded while Guy suddenly raised his arms in an energetic manner,

"Alright Kakashi, it's about time we get back. After all, I have to talk to the warden about doubling the amount of food for both Rai-"

A large gust of wind blew past the group in front of the manor as they saw the source of the sudden breeze. It was the two brothers eagerly running out of the village to get back to prison for more food. As they watch the brothers getting farther and farther away, all of the males had some kind of baffled expression once they heard the brother's chanting for,

"**FOOD, FOOD, FOOD, FOOD, FOOD**-"

"Please don't tell me that I just saw that happen..." Naruto commented the situation while feeling his jaw comically dropped a bit.

"If you say so, Naruto..." Jellal calmly answered back while he slightly sweatdropped. Guy, on the other hand, squatted down in a psyched stance and was shaking with anticipation,

"Yoooossshhhh! Feeling their desire to get back to prison just for their food, it makes my blood boiling with endless YOUTH!" The bowl-cut man exclaimed out loud as he quickly got back up, shocking the younger boys yet again with his enthusiasm. "I'm going on ahead, Kakashi. With my body boiling with so much energy; at this rate, I just can't stay still any further!"

The older bowl-cut man began sprinting after the brothers at unbelievable speed, shocking everyone but the adults and Sayla while they hear Guy's energized cry get quieter as he got further and further away. Kakashi let out a tired sigh upon hearing his partner's speech and lifted Mizuki over his shoulder once more. The masked man quickly made a hand sign with his unoccupied hand but turns around to glance at Naruto one last time,

"Ah.. W-what is it?" The young blond asked the masked adult in an uncomfortable manner.

The two of them continued to stay in their exact positions, their eyes never leaving each other's glance. This was continuing for so long in Naruto's mind that he was beginning to feel even more uncomfortable at the silence,

_"No doubt about it now... He's definitely Minato-sensei and Kushina-san's child. Not only in appearance but also in his chakra and magic reserves..." _The masked man thought to himself and noticed the young blond's expression upon snapping back to reality. With what would be a smile underneath his mask, the older man then said,

"It's nothing too important." Naruto had the urge to drop onto the ground but he remained to keep on listening, "You just remain me so much of my old teacher and his wife, Naruto. They would've loved to meet you if that was ever possible anymore." The whiskered blond felt embarrassed at the man's comment but he began to felt confuse when he heard Kakashi's remaining words,

"And also... I'm glad that there's someone like you in this world. Perhaps you could change the ways of both wizards and shinobi alike." Kakashi disappeared in of smoke along with Mizuki just as mysterious as his words were to the young blond.

"Change the ways of wizards and shinobi? What the heck does that mean?" Naruto crossed his arms in a questioning manner while Atsuko approached closer to the four kids as she playfully brushed her fingers through Naruto's hair,

"I'm sure you'll understand it better when you're older, Naruto-kun." The elegant woman responded to the blond's question while Ichirō and his patron began to head into the front gates again,

"In any case, let's go inside then. There's a request that I must ask you to take." The chieftain said in a formal manner as he and Michi walked through the gates.

Atsuko immediately followed her brother into the manor while beckoning the four kids to come inside as well. The four of them walked into the courtyard while Atsuko noticed how Naruto, Jellal, and Wendy were observing the courtyard. Their eyes were filled with wonder and curiosity as they gazed from the blossom trees to the rock garden and then to the tiny pond with several species of small fishes inhabiting it. The group of five got to the manor's door when Atsuko gently placed her hands on Jellal and Wendy's shoulders,

"I'm afraid that this is when only Naruto-kun and Sayla-chan can enter the manor." The older woman affirmed to the group with an apologetic expression. Jellal observed Naruto and Sayla for any reaction from them. Catching his glance, the blond just nodded his head in reassurance and followed Sayla into the manor.

"So I take it that you know your way around, since you've been here before right?" The young blond asked curiously while the two of them were walking through the hallways of the manor. To his disappointment, she didn't feel like chatting at the moment. Even though she has her usual stoic expression, deep down, Sayla was feeling tense upon what Ichirō wanted to talk about.

Sayla suddenly stopped in front of two large shōgi doors, much to the blond's curiosity. The young female placed her hands in the small indents of the doors and opened them. The two of them entered the large room and and saw both Ichirō and his patron at the other side of the large room. The two of them stared at the young blond and she-demon for a brief second until the navy-blue haired man beckoned them to come over. As the two approached the older men, Ichirō stood up from the cushion he was sitting on and what he did next made Naruto slightly bashful,

"I know that I've thanked you already for protecting Sayla. But there are no other words that I can express my gratitude for all that you've done." The chieftain said as he slightly bowed his head to the young blond.

"Ah... It was no problem, really... I just couldn't stand it any longer so I just followed what my heart told me to do."

"Your heart..." The chieftain mumbled quietly until he started to humbly chuckled after processing the blond's answer, "That's an answer I haven't heard in a very long time."

Unlike how Naruto was taking the situation, Sayla noticed something in Ichirō's eyes. His eyes were usually defined with the gaze of a warrior but right now, the young demon saw a glimmer of nostalgia inside them.

"An answer you haven't heard in a long time? What do you mean by that?" Naruto asked with a confused expression while the chieftain looked down at the boy with the feeling of nostalgia still evident in his eyes,

"It's just that.. Your answer is exactly the same as those whom I have met over the years. More specifically, an old friend of mine said the exact same thing when he came to this village eighteen years ago." The man's eyes lost the nostalgic feeling and had the serious eyes that Sayla seemed to recognize instantly,

"But in any case; I have a favor that I must ask of you and your friends waiting outside."

Naruto looked at the older man in confusion while the latter took a deep breath and said afterwards,

"When you happen to leave this village... If it's alright with you; I want Sayla to accompany you and your friends on your journey." Both Naruto and Sayla became shocked at the chieftain's request. Before the blond could reply, Ichirō quickly spoke again,

"I know that I'm asking you of this so suddenly but it is for a good reason." The chieftain stopped for a brief second and saw the two were still shocked but their attention was still on him so he continued,

"With the events that transpired tonight, I believe that more people like that man will invade this village one way or another to obtain Sayla for whatever avaricious purpose they have in mind. I know that it's selfish of me to ask of this without your consent but please understand that I am not doing this for the villagers' sake. No, I'm only asking of this because I want her to be free from being the victim of those hateful stares. And I also want her to be able to step out of this village to see more of this world as a free individual, just like you and your friends, am I correct?"

Naruto remained oddly still, slowly processing everything that Ichirō had spoken. Sayla, on the other hand, seemed to retained her calm and emotionless composure through the chieftain's explanation. However, the other occupants could see the uncertainty and hesitation in her facade. It was from seeing the same emotions he read back in the forest, Naruto firmly nodded his head in response to Ichirō's request,

"If that's what you really want, then yeah! She can come along with me, Wendy, and Jellal!" The blond responded with a cheerful expression, temporarily surprising the older man with his immediate answer. Ichirō managed to get over his shock and felt a smile curl on his face,

"I see... So that's your answer then, Naruto?"

"You bet it is, dattebayo! Regardless of what you think, I already have made up my mind!" The blond confidently yelled out while crossing his arms in a defiant manner, " I mean, I understand why you want Sayla to come along with us in the first place. Because even though you tried to persuade the other villagers to accept her, they just can't let go of their hatred that easily. And it'll just bring more people like Mizuki into invading the village just to get their hands on the powers of a demon. I may not know how it feels to be the outcast but what I do know is that I wouldn't be able to stand it like you do, Ichirō-san. That's why... I'll do anything if it means that Sayla can be seen as a normal person."

Even though she already heard Naruto speak similar words before, she couldn't help but feel grateful that Naruto was able to understand her suffering unlike most people. The she-demon's emotionless gaze soften a bit while she began to lightly smile, catching Ichirō's attention. The older man became amused at how much the young blond was able to influence Sayla into a positive light.

"Well then, Sayla." The she-demon regained her calm expression when she heard her name being called, "What do you have to say about this? Do you want to go with Naruto and his friends on their travels?"

The two other males turned their glances towards the she-demon. She had thought over the possibilities of leaving the village or staying in the village and she was really considering the former greatly. But somewhere deep inside her, there was this tinge of guilt that she wouldn't be able to repay the older siblings for everything that they did for her.

"I understand if you don't want to leave because you have a debt to pay to us. But right now, I want to hear what your heart really desires, not what your conscience wants."

Sayla lowered her head in thought on what she really wanted. She knew that if she stayed, she would relive her usual lifestyle of being outcasted by the villagers because or her existence. But; if she left with Naruto and his friends, she could begin her life anew and possibly, find the reason why she was given existence. After processing all of the choices and the consequences in her mind, Sayla raised her head and Ichirō lightly smiled upon seeing the firmed will within her eyes,

"I do. I want to travel with Naruto and his friends, Ichirō-sama. So that I can see the vast regions of Fiore and experience the same feeling of freedom like all humans do." Upon seeing the strong conviction in his eyes, Naruto folded his arms behind his head and cheekily smiled at the she-demon's answer to the chieftain's request.

"Very well then. Once the morning sun rises, Atsuko and Daiki will provide you and the others with proper supplies for your departure. In the meantime, why don't you inform the news to your friends waiting outside, Naruto?"

"Hai! Arigato, Ichirō-san!" The whiskered blond said in gratitude before bolting out of the room in an energetic manner. As Sayla watched Naruto exit out of the room, Ichirō walked up to her with an expression that was stoic at first but then his mouth twitched into a smirk from observing the blond's personality,

"He really is something special, isn't he? I could tell just from being in his very presence." There was an odd silence after the older chieftain commented on the blond but then continued a few seconds later, "I assume that you thought the same thing, didn't you Sayla?"

Even though the she-demon wasn't facing the middle-aged man at all, the latter knew that there was a smile right on Sayla's face as of this moment. Just from that, Ichirō knew that he had made the right choice of trusting the young blond. Especially when the blond, in the chieftain's eyes, greatly resembles his old friend greatly; even though Naruto isn't a perverted hermit like his friend was.

* * *

"Ne, Elf-nii. How much longer do we have to walk until we can take a break?" A young girl with short white hair asked the slightly bigger boy in front of her. The boy stopped walking momentarily so he could reply to the girl.

"I don't know for sure, Lisanna," The boy responded back to the now-named Lisanna, "But I'm sure Nee-chan wouldn't have us walking non-stop all day and night. Right, Nee-chan?" The boy looked back in front of him to glance at the hooded figure. But he got no response as their "nee-chan" continue walking.

While both Lisanna and "Elf-nii" looked at each other in concern for their eldest sister's condition. Even since they were forced to leave their home, their sister never muttered a single word while they were traveling constantly. She would only speak when it was time for them to take a break or to rest for the night. Both of them noticed their sister walking ever farther away from them so they resumed walking until suddenly, the hooded girl stopped walking. The younger siblings also stopped in their tracks and felt their eyes widened upon seeing what caught their sister's attention.

Resting on the trunk of a nearby tree, a young boy with raven-black hair that was also spiky at the back was tossing and turning in his sleep. He also seemed to be around the hooded girl's age. Wanting to get a closer look, Lisanna ran up to the sleeping boy and instantly became worried when she saw the pain and agony on his face.

"It looks like he's in a bad nightmare. Mira-nee, what do we do?" The younger girl looked up to her elder sister with a concerned look on her face. Underneath the black hood, the now-named "Mira-nee" obscurely winced at seeing the boy's expression, making her tighten the grip on her right arm.

As all three siblings watched the raven-haired boy toss and turn in agony, they couldn't even comprehend what was occurring in the boy's dream. Especially when it's something that no one would want to dream about...

* * *

_October 7th, X772 _

_Fire was blazing through everything that was in its path of destruction. Houses were burned down, buildings collapsed, and several decorations were singed with no resistance whatsoever. As a younger version of the boy observed the destruction with frightful eyes, he also listened to all of the agonizing cries of both adults and child. The boy passed by the many bodies lying on the ground in their own blood, he began to felt fear well up inside him even when he heard footsteps approach him._

_"Nii-san?" The boy said, thinking that his brother was walking to him just from the silhouette in the flames, "Is that you-" _

_The boy suddenly ceased talking when he saw the figure emerge from the flames. The figure was a young man with shaggy black hair sporting a black high-collared robe with gold trims along with black pants and boots. He also had a flowing white robe draped around his torso area but what caught the boy's curiosity about the stranger was his crimson eyes. That almost looked like the ocular spell that could only be used by his fellow clansmen.  
_

_"Why?" The boy became startled from the man's sudden question. But he then instantly relaxed when the man's gaze shifted from him to the surrounding buildings that were burning, "No matter where I go, there'll always be humans who create conflict just for their own satisfaction." The man then resumed staring at the boy in front of him as his eyes shifted from menacing red to melancholic black,_

_"And many children, such as you, will have to endure carrying this horrible memory forever in your heart..." _

_Suddenly, the man turned his head to the left, detecting two sources of magic coming towards them. Deciding that he had stayed long enough in the village, the man began to take his leave, only stopping when he heard the young boy call out,_

_"Hey wait, who exactly are you?"_

_Without turning around to look at the boy, the man then said as black swirls of wind envelop the strange man, "You will know my name in the upcoming future. But as of right now, you cannot know just yet. You have to, no, you **must **survive and become stronger. Because once you do, you'll find out who I am and then I can-"_

_The man suddenly disappeared in the gust of black magic, unable to finish what he was about to say to the boy. As the young boy tried to reach out to the man before he vanished, he heard explosions denoted a few meters away from him. He looked up to the source of the explosions which was the top to one of the stabilized buildings. The smoke that was rising from the spot of the explosions begun to lift and two figures were revealed in its place. On one side of the rooftop, an elderly man with several bandages wrapped over the right side of his face was staring off against a young teen with black hair tied in a ponytail. The boy couldn't see them fully from the position that he was standing at, he could recognize the teen from his black combat uniform._

_"Nii-san!"_

_The teen heard the boy's cry from below but right now, he kept his attention onto the elderly man standing before him. The two of them stood still, watching each other's moves with hardened eyes while retaining their stance. The teen, much to the man's curiosity, began to amplify his chakra into his eyes, causing the eye color to change from dull black to crimson red with three small tomoes surround the pupil._

_"So, judging from your activation of the Sharingan, you're not going to follow out the rest of your mission? Instead, you've decided to defy me at the moment when you were assigned to kill **all** of your fellow clansmen, including your brother... Such a shame, you had such a prodigious gift in your abilities. Yet you waste them on these attachment to your little brother." The elderly man said in a withering voice while opening the eye he had kept shut. The man began to suck in oxygen from the air while the teen crouched down in anticipation for the man's upcoming move,_

_"Wind Style: Vacuum Sphere (Fūton・Shinkūgyoku)!"  
_

_The man blew out several bullets of compressed air towards the red-eyed teen, completely desolating anything in its path. The teen managed to see the trajectory of the bullets through his __Sharingan__ and dodged them efficiently. Seeing that the teen managed to dodge all of the bullets, the elderly man began to spew several more bullets to slay the younger teen with. As the teen dodged every single bullet, he then ran towards the man, catching the man slightly off-guard. The teen made the hand seal for the Shadow Clone Magic (Kage Bunshin no Mahō) and an exact replica of Itachi appeared next to him as they approached the elderly man. The clone then engaged the man in hand-to-hand combat, giving the man no time to counteract his onslaught of attacks. That was, until a minute or so later, the man managed to grab the clone's wrist but then noticed that the teen had evaded his line of vision. He sensed an odd amount of magic beginning to expel from the clone and realized his immediate mistake too late,_

_"Impossible, to think that Itachi deceived me with a Clone Bomb (Bunshin Bakudan)..." The elderly man thought in his head before the clone exploded a moment later. As the young boy felt the backlash from below, he felt someone hoisted him onto their shoulder as they began to run away from the building. _

_"Nii-san!" The boy shouted in relief after recognizing the figure who picked him up from the ground. Even though he had a smile on his face, the boy still felt fear in his body after hearing most of the men's conversation. He couldn't get all of the words the elderly man was saying to his brother but what he did get was that his brother refused to continue some sort of assignment that involved their family. Sensing the boy's worry, the older teen began to speak to assure the younger boy of his worries,_

_"It'll be alright, Sasuke." The boy snapped out of his thoughts upon hearing his brother's words. "I may have not been able to help Father and Mother on time. But know that no matter what happens to the two of us, I'll always protect you."_

_As the older teen continued running with his brother hoisted over his shoulder, he sensed the elderly man's power rising up from the spot they briefly clashed. Without turning back, Itachi reactivated his Sharingan again when he heard the man bellow out, _

_"Summoning Magic (Kuchiyose no Mahō)!" _

_A huge cloud of smoke appeared on the rooftop that was destroyed by Itachi's Clone Bomb as a giant creature emerged from the large smokescreen. Sasuke lifted his head up and his eyes widened in horror at the size of the creature. It was some kind of mammal with the overall appearance of a tiger but this one had the trunk and tusks of an elephant in place of its usual nose. Its tail was rather short and round and it had a huge chin. Besides its overall appearance, the creature also sports a turban on its head. The elderly man then re-appeared on top of the mammal's head, unscathed from Itachi's attack._

_"A baku summoning in this amount of space... this isn't good." Itachi thought to himself as he amplified more magic into his feet, increasing his running speed even more. _

_"Fall, Itachi." The elderly man said before he began to inhale the oxygen in the air while the baku does the same action with its trunk. Sensing the danger, Sasuke turned his head as best as he could in his position to see what his older brother was thinking. From what he could see in his brother's eyes, he had formulated an idea on how to escape from the incoming attack. But the real problem was.. if the teen could pull it off since the elderly man released the attack in coordination with the giant mammal,_

_"Wind Style: Baku Vacuum Carnage (Fūton･ Baku Shinkū Gyakusatsu)!"  
_

_A whitish-yellow magic circle appeared in front of the baku as the man and mammal both expelled a massive amount of wind that tore anything in its path to shreds. While Itachi was able to get the both of them a head start, the torrent of wind was gaining up on them. With no other choice, the older teen turned his head back to the giant wind blast while retaining his current running speed. Unknown to his brother, Itachi's Sharingan shifted from the three tomoes to more of a pinwheel shape while retaining the usual red/black color scheme. Before the younger boy began to fall unconscious because of Itachi's running speed, the last thing that he heard from his brother was,_

_"Amaterasu."_

* * *

"Hello, hello." Lisanna gently said as he rocked the boy back and forth to wake him up, "It's going to be alright; please be alright..." Even though she shook the boy harder, he still wouldn't budge from his terrible nightmare. "No good; what should we do, Elf-nii, Mira-nee?"

"Elf-nii" walked up to the sleeping boy and winced upon seeing the boy's agony very closely. He then turned his head away a few seconds later to see what his older sister had in mind to ease the boy's pain,

"What do you think we should do, Nee-chan-" The white-haired boy's question came to a halt when his older sister approached him, Lisanna, and the boy. Gently moving her siblings aside, the two watched her kneel down and reached out to the boy's cheek using her left hand.

"Mira-nee..." The younger sister said in worry when she saw Mira use her left hand to touch the boy's right cheek. The older girl then leaned over and placed her forehead over the boy's while closing her eyes. The two were shocked at their sister's actions and were even more surprised when the boy's trembling began to lessen little by little. Eventually, it came to an end as all three of them heard the boy exhale a contained breath in relief. The older sister then removed her forehead from the boy and let her hand drop back to her side as she stood up.

The boy's eyes began to open up, revealing his pitch-black eyes to the three siblings to see. While he took awareness of his surroundings, he then heard the young and gentle voice of Lisanna cry out in applaud to her sister's actions,

"You did it, Mira-nee! You got him to snap out of his nightmare!"

The boy automatically looked to the direction, seeing all of the three siblings standing in front of him. When he glanced towards Mira, he sensed something peculiar inside the girl's arm but didn't question it when Lisanna noticed him fully awake. She walked up to her sister's side as she asked with a smile,

"Are you feeling any better now?"

The boy stared at both Lisanna and Mira with emotionless eyes as he shifted his gaze from the sisters to the other sibling and then to the trees surrounding them. The white-haired boy felt uneasy from seeing the boy's stare and began to feel fear well up inside him when the boy got up and quietly said,

"I'm fine."

The boy gruffly passed by the two sisters and the brother, making the younger girl some upset with the boy's attitude while Mira just stood firm while watching the boy continue walking. The boy only managed to walk a few feet until Lisanna caught up and is now standing in front of him with a curious expression on her face,

"Ne, are you sure that you're alright? It seemed like you were remembering something that happened to you in the past, right?" The boy unnoticeably flinched at the girl's accurate assumptions. He managed to regain his composure when the girl ran around him and stop a few feet in front of her older siblings,

"I'm Lisanna. My brother over there is Elfman." The girl pointed to the slightly taller boy, making the latter wave fearfully to the raven-haired boy, "And the one who managed to wake you up is my older sister, Mirajane." The boy shifted his gaze onto the older girl again as he noticed she was staring at him with the same emotionless eyes as he was. He was brought out of his observation when Lisanna asked him,

"What's your name then, mister?"

The boy stood there in silence even after the young girl asked him for his name. Sensing the tension in the boy, Mirajane walked up to her younger sister and guided her away from the boy until Lisanna then said,

"You don't have to say your name if you don't want to." The younger girl spoke out loud when she realized that her question made the boy even more unsociable. So when she was about to ask him if he wanted to accompany her and her siblings on their journey, the boy roughly said,

"Sasuke." The girl along with Elfman and Mirajane looked at the boy in confusion upon hearing the boy speak. Sasuke then turned his gaze away from the siblings, feeling slightly awkward from seeing the younger siblings' curious expressions. Sensing that they wanted to hear out more, he reluctantly spoke once again,

"You asked for my name. It's Sasuke...Sasuke Uchiha."

* * *

_End of Chapter _

**To be perfectly honest, I wanted to released this chapter by the time the final Naruto chapter had been released. But sadly, university work picked up so I got delayed for a bit. Especially since I put an all-nighter two times for last week and this week to do final projects. I'm on break now so the least I can do is to get the next chapter released before I go back to collage again. So what do you guys think of the last chapters of Naruto? Did you guys liked it or disliked it? And also, I have an announcement for something in the far future that I want to get off my chest right now. When this story gets to the Sun Village Arc (believe me, I will get there, I promise), I will be writing a _very _special crossover for this story and the Bleach universe. It'll take place before the aforementioned arc and just after the Lost Substitute Shingami arc but before the final arc for Bleach. I hope this will hype up this story even more and so if you guys have any suggestions on how I should make this idea happen, send me a message through the private inbox so I can read them over and decide which ones are good and adjustable to mend into the story. Other than that, I'll be sure to post the donator's names in gratitude upon the crossover's release and thanks for viewing this message.**

**Don't forget to leave a review and thanks again for reading.**


	10. The Bonds of Friends and Rivals

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 9: The Bonds of Friends and Rivals

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Naruto. Naruto belongs to Makashi Kishimoto while Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima

**Note: I know I said I'll upload this before I go back to University. But because of writer's block and stress from personal matters, I got delayed for quite a while. I also know that some of you have messaged me to update and I would like to say that I'm sorry for keeping you guys on hold like that. I've thought of leaving an author's note to explain the reasons why I didn't update but I didn't get to that because of important matters outside of Fanfiction once again. So I'll say this now so I don't worry the majority of you about updates: this story will most likely be uploaded with new chapters at least once/twice a month (or on a specific date via author's note), depending on how much I got written down or how much work I've got from my University classes. Once again, I'm very sorry for the delay and I hope this chapter pleases you all.**

* * *

_August X777,_

Peaceful silence was all around the atmosphere of the abundant forest. Even though there was chirping from the birds and insects, it was still peaceful regardless. As for though resting from constant traveling, they soon become entranced from the sounds harmonizing with one and another. Especially for a young girl such as Wendy.

When Naruto and Jellal told the young girl to wait with their new companion to get firewood, Wendy became slightly upset at them leaving her behind even for a little while. Even though she wanted to help them, she easily complied to their order because she really wanted to know more about Sayla. After the two boys left, she was unsure on how to start a conservation that wouldn't bother the female demon. But as she listened to the chirping of the birds and insects, her thoughts became more at ease. With the tranquil sounds in her head, she walked up to the older female as the latter was watching two squirrel-like creatures share a chestnut together,

"Ano…" The she-demon turned her attention from the squirrels to Wendy upon learning the girl's voice, "Was it really true that you were.. left behind in the village when you were just a baby?" Sayla stared at the young girl with stoic eyes while Wendy began to felt chills shiver down her spine upon seeing the demon's eyes. Fearing that she might've asked something personal, Wendy began to reconsider starting up a conservation. She raises her hands in front of her and waved them in embarassment to take back what she asked,

"Y-You don't have to say anything if you don't want to…" The little girl shyly mumbled out loud, "So, um… You can just forget that I asked-"

"It's alright; you don't have to worry about offending me by asking that question." Wendy stopped waving her hands as she stared at the older female in shock while putting her hands down, "I don't remember much about that day but everything that you've heard from the others is true. I was dropped off in front of Ichirō-sama's manor twelve years ago when I was an infant."

"Do you know who dropped you off at the village?"

Sayla shifted from her gaze from Wendy and towards a bunch of falling leaves, causing Wendy to also stare at the leaves. More leaves were beginning to fall on top of the pile but this didn't help the young girl feel comfortable from the awkward silence. The young girl was starting to wonder how Naruto was able to crack through the demon's impeccable silence. Fortunately for Wendy, the she-demon didn't intend to leave her in the dark quite yet,

"I'm… not too sure on that. According to Ichirō-sama and Atsuko-san, it was apparently a woman but she had a cloak over her face so they don't know who it was."

"A cloaked woman?" Just when Wendy was about to ask Sayla for more details, several squawks were heard up from above. The two females looked up to the sky and saw several birds flying to the southeast. Wendy observed the flock of birds with curiosity while Sayla sensed two magical presences fighting several smaller ones from the direction that the birds flew from.

"Sayla-san, what was-" The young girl tried to ask the older she-demon when the latter grabbed ahold of Wendy's wrist and began to slowly venture deeper into the forest with the blue-haired girl in tow,

"Chotto matte, Sayla-san." Wendy started to say while she tried to match the she-demon's walking speed, "Where are we going-"

Sayla instantly grabbed ahold of Wendy and threw the both of them onto the ground just as three giant shurikens flew and impaled the trunk of a tree. The older female glanced up to the top of the trees and saw several men observing them with predatory eyes. Slowly bringing herself and Wendy back on their feet, the younger girl noticed the men that the she-demon was eying coldly. They were all wearing stitched tan bodysuits and had breathing masks over their mouths. In addition, they all wore headbands with a forehead protector that had four small vertical lines marked on it. The younger girl became scared of the men upon seeing their eyes so she hid behind the she-demon and unconsciously clutch tightly on Sayla's kimono.

Just as one of the men took out a kunai, he suddenly dropped it and to his shock, began to choke himself. The others turned their attention towards him until one by one, they began to tightly grip their own necks,

"W-What is going on!?"

"Why are we strangling ourselves all of a sudden?"

These questions were bouncing all around in the heads of the men as some of them were beginning to lose oxygen. One of them had lost their footing and plummeted to the ground while the others were trying to regain control of their bodies to no avail,

"Dammit! Why can't we break loos- gyak!" One man wheezed in anger only to feel his grip tighten even more on his neck.

"It- It must be some kind of _Body Possession Magic (Shojitai Mahō)_ that girl is using…" One of the men thought to himself as he saw Sayla not being fazed by their suffering.

She may not have any idea on why those men were trying to ambush them, Wendy was starting to feel sympathy for the men's suffering. When the young girl glanced up towards the demon's face, she became even more frighten at Sayla's cold and emotionless face. Wendy used one of her hands to grab the demon's wrist, snapping her attention from the men to Wendy. One look from Wendy's eyes and Sayla saw the fear and anxiety welling up in the girl's eyes from her actions. One by one, the men felt their hands releasing their grips and noticed that they could control their own bodies again. The men turned around and swiftly retreated in fear of losing control of their bodies again.

"S-Sayla-san?" Even though she protected both Wendy and herself, the demon felt slightly guilty for scaring the girl as she felt Wendy clutching her kimono very tightly. Seeing Wendy's frightened eyes made the demon remember the confusion and fear she felt when she was Wendy's age.

Sayla turned her body slightly to Wendy so she could look at the young girl directly. But the demon had no experience in comforting another person and began to slowly caress Wendy's hair.

"Are you… feeling better now?"

It felt awkward at first but as she continued to gently brush through Wendy's hair, the girl began to lose some of her anxiety towards Sayla. Wendy then smiled gratefully at the demon's attempt at comforting her as she began to giggle, catching the she-demon's curiosity,

"Gomen ne," The young girl said as she stopped giggling upon seeing Sayla's expression, "It's just- um… It looked like you never had comforted someone before, am I right?" The older demon tilted her head while Wendy continued to say, "But it's okay. You tried at the very least and that's always a good thing, according to Grandeeney. And if you need advice, you could always ask Jellal or Naruto-san to help you."

The curiosity in the she-demon's eyes instantly turned into slight shock at the little girl's words as she never thought that Wendy would know such things. Sayla regained her usual composure but unlike before, Wendy could see some amusement in the older demon's eyes. The young girl then let go of the she-demon's kimono as she tried to see if she could find Naruto's or Jellal's scent in the air. Sayla paid close attention to Wendy's actions as the little girl quickly turned back around and grabbed the demon's hand with both of hers,

"Ne, let's go find Jellal and Naruto-san. Maybe they've gotten the firewood we need for dinner by now." Wendy insisted as she pulled Sayla along as she followed the direction that the two scents were coming from. Little did Wendy know, both Naruto and Jellal have encountered a minor problem.

A _very minor _problem….

* * *

It has almost been a month since they were kicked out of their village, but it was only a few days since the siblings have met their newest companion. At first, the raven-haired boy shrugged off the siblings' request to travel with them multiple times. But after several tries and his slight curiosity about what was Mira hiding, Sasuke agreed even though he had the same stern look on his face. When they began traveling together, it was really awkward for the boys' part as Elfman always felt frightened everytime he took a glance at Sasuke. Lisanna, on the other hand, wasn't as creeped out by Sasuke's stern demeanor; in fact, she tried to start up a conversation with him most of the time they were walking. But she was only met with silence as the older boy ignored most of the time and when he decided to talk, he only spoke a few words that were either cryptic or very rude.

Even when they've stopped to rest for many nights, Sasuke always distanced himself from the siblings when they ate and when they slept, much to Lisanna's annoyance and Elfman's relief. But as they begin to sleep, Sasuke always took unnoticable glances at Mira's sleeping figure, trying to figure out the strange presence in the girl's cloak. But he wasn't able to comprehend it at all every time so he decided to suppress his curiosity and went to sleep.

Days have flown by just when the small group have crossed multiple forests, ravines, and a desert; the group arrives in the lively town of Magnolia. As the group ventured further in the large town, they could feel so much familiarity from the many civilians they were walking pass by. Lisanna and Elfman were fascinated by how the streets of Magnolia were so big that the civilians didn't mind if the two accidently bumped into anyone during their sight-seeing. What really caught their attention, especially Sasuke to some extent, was the giant building to the outer north that had not only three flags hanging on the top level but also the sigil for one of the most infamous guilds of Fiore: Fairy Tail.

"Sugoi… So this is Fairy Tail. It's just like how everyone back home said it was, right Mira-nee?" Lisanna asked Mira eagerly but upon seeing her emotionless expression, the younger girl piped down and glanced over to the boys. Elfman was keeping his excitement contained inside himself while seeking looks at the older male who was just staring at the guild with some kind of reminiscence. Without any further delays, the four entered the guild only to stumble across some kind of scuffle between two boys with everyone in the building watching with mixed feelings.

One of the boys had messy salmon-pink hair along with olive eyes. He had a white scaled-patterned scarf wrapped around his neck as he wore a red tunic-like shirt with dark mustard shorts. The other boy had raven-black hair and eyes like Sasuke but unlike Sasuke, his hair wasn't spiky at the back of his head. What was really disturbing about this particular boy was that he had nothing on except for blue boxers.

"I know that it was you who ate my fire-grilled steak, you streaker! Now `fess up!" The pink-haired boy angrily exclaimed to the other boy who was staring at the former with the same amount of annoyance,

"You think it was me, pinky?! Why would I eat something that would obviously burn the inside of my mouth?! For all we know, you could've have tossed it aside without even knowing it!"

"Oh brother, here they go again…" One of the spectators commented as the two boys began to comically hit each other,

"That just comes to show that fire and ice really don't get along so well…"

The boys continued to scuffle for a few more seconds while the recently-arrived guests and the spectators kept on watching this commotion. That was, until, a young scarlet-haired girl came over to them, grabbed their heads, and then slammed them together, causing them to fall onto the ground barely conscious.

"E-Erza.." The boys managed to say in their pained condition. The aforementioned girl wore a gray chestplate with complimenting shoulderpads over a white blouse. She also wore a skirt that went to her knees and had long black socks to go along with her brown shoes. Besides her outfit, her long scarlet hair seemed to be braided into a single ponytail as she stared down at the knocked-out boys with disapproval.

"You imbeciles… I told you two several times not to fight. What part of my instructions do you two not get at all?" Some of the spectators shuddered at the fierce tone in her voice while the boys began to sweat tremendously in fear, "So I'll say this once more: You'll not try to start up a fight in this guild, especially when we have guests arriving to see your commotion."

"Yes, ma'am-" The raven-haired boy exclaimed indignantly until he, along with everyone else, processed her warning and said,

"Guests?"

Erza pointed to the siblings and Sasuke as most of the inhabitants turned their heads to look at them. Elfman felt slightly anxious from having the majority of the guild staring at them while the oldests in the group just stared back with their emotionless eyes. It was Lisanna who managed to break the silence and spoke in her usual friendly voice,

"Excuse me; is there by any chance that your master is here? There's something that we need them to check on about Mira-nee's arm."

After hearing the questions, some of the wizards turned to each other with questioning eyes, wondering if they should comply with the girl's request. The two boys, along with three other girls, looked at the four with bewildered expressions until a cough was heard from the bar counter. The four saw that the cough came from Makarov who was in his casual outfit with his staff in hand.

"The master of this guild would be me, young one." The short elderly man leaped off of the counter and he approached the four kids with a friendly smile, "So what can I help with this Mira-nee?"

"It's.. something that only you can see." Mirajane said in a quiet tone which Makarov heard quite well. The elderly master also sensed that the girl was clearly hiding her right arm in that cloak of hers. Knowing that she won't reveal it with the observing eyes at the moment, Makarov turned to every one of them,

"Well don't just stare at the poor girl like this. Go on back to your usual business." Just like that, the guild wizards who were watching went back to either chit-chatting or drinking their alcoholic beverages. The short master of Fairy Tail then gestured to the four to follow him to which they complied to an extent. As the group of four were following the short master up to his office, the three girls noticed the two boys and Erza approaching them with curiosity in their eyes,

"Do you guys know what was with those four?" Erza asked the girls who just shrugged in response,

"We really don't know since they've just arrived around the time these two knuckleheads began to duke it out again." The pink-haired girl said in irritation with the last few words, making the boys approach her angrily.

"WHAT WAS THAT, FOREHEAD GIRL!?" The blue-haired girl tiredly sighed while the pink haired girl was irritatedly twitching with anger while the last girl boringly rolled her eyes at their insult.

"Calm down, Gray, Natsu. Getting angry at Sakura won't do you any good. We just have to wait until the Master comes back out of his office with them. Anyways, Gray; your clothes…"

"What about my- Argh, dammit!" Gray began to panic as he was searching for his clothes while the girls shook their heads in annoyance while Natsu was laughing hysterically at Gray's predicament.

Around this time, the group of four with Makarov arrived at his office as the elderly man told them to come in as he sat down in his chair as he then asked,

"Now then, what is it that only I can see, my dear?"

Sasuke kept his glance on the cloaked girl as he then became slightly shocked when Mirajane took out her right arm. It was no wonder he sensed something peculiar about the girl: the girl's arm was practically demonic in both shape and form. While both Elfman and Lisanna began to felt afraid of the observers' reactions, they saw that Makarov wasn't terribly fazed by this. It actually looked like he knew what was wrong but he needed to hear the whole story first.

"How exactly did this occurred to you, child?" Lisanna looked towards Elfman who shared the same anxiety for their troubled past. Sasuke managed to regain his calm composure and was now curious as to why the three siblings constantly travel from multiple places to the next. Something inside him told the boy that there was some animosity involved in their past. Fortunately, Mirajane wasn't going to keep them in the dark any further,

"It began a month ago… Me, along with my brother and sister, lived in a small but peaceful village a few kilometers from Onibus Town. That was until a demon had come to the village to raid our home without remorse. When the village was almost about to collapse from the demon's frequent rampages, I chased it down up to the village's church and I… I… somehow merged with the demon, causing my arm to be like this. After that, the others began to fear me because of the possibility of me becoming a demon myself.. That's… That's why we came here; to see if you have some way to cure this."

Lisanna and Elfman looked down to the ground in pain as they remembered how the villagers treated them when they saw Mirajane's arm. Even though she tried to hide in that cloak, they had already knew what was underneath it. While Sasuke observed all three of them with keen eyes, the boy felt some sympathy on their treatment as he thought of what happened in his nightmare. Makarov looked like he didn't seemed to be fazed by the brief story the hooded girl told everyone. But the truth was, he was severely angry. Angry at how the siblings were forced to leave their own home; just because their older sister unintentionally absorbed the demon terrorizing their village and thus saved their home from a ravaging demon. But the elderly man managed to keep his cool as he looked at the four with understanding eyes,

"So that is why you all only want me to know this secret, huh?" The two younger siblings turned their heads towards Makarov who still had those eyes of sympathy towards the four as he then said,

"My girl, you don't have to worry about the demon possessing you whatsoever." The three siblings and Sasuke had their eyes locked onto Makarov, wanting to hear out his explanation. Seeing their desire, the short elder continued his explanation,

"You have magical prowess inside you, my dear. For what you did to that demon, you did absorbed into your body. However, that is just the usage of a brand of magic known as _Take Over (__Teiku Ōbā)._ By absorbing the demon into your own body with _Take Over_, you have acquired the demon's power for your usage without any fear of it taking control of you whatsoever."

Lisanna and Elfman looked to their older sister with joy and relief upon hearing that their sister won't be possessed by the demon. Mirajane, on the other hand, raised her demonized arm to eye-level as she stared at it with saddened eyes. Even though she felt Lisanna and Elfman's joyous stares towards her, she was more focused on her arm that she didn't noticed both Sasuke and Makarov looking at her with anticipating eyes. It was almost as if they knew what she was thinking at this very moment,

"_The demon's power…._" The hooded girl thought to herself in sadness as she clenched her demonic hand hatefully, "_I never asked to be given this gift…_"

* * *

Meanwhile, back with Naruto and Jellal, they were on their way back with firewood in hand when Naruto accidently stepped on a Gorian's tail. The primate of course got enraged at Naruto, beckoning him to apologize to him. Jellal tried to dispel the tension between the two, but it was all in vain when the Gorian called more of its friends over after Naruto socked it in the mouth. With no other choice, the two boys began to ran for their lives, much to Naruto's displeasure.

"Darn it Naruto! You didn't have to start a fight with them just because you don't want to apologize to a giant ape! We could've of just taken the easy route but no, your stubbornness just had to get us into even more trouble now!" Jellal exasperatedly yelled at Naruto as they were running away from the mob of Gorians.

"Well excuse me if I don't want to apologize to some arrogant monkey! I have my own personal pride too, dattebayo!" The young blond argued back while he and Jellal picked up his running speed.

"Oi, gakis! Oh-Oh, don't think you're getting away!" The lead Gorian exclaimed to the two boys as they continued to chase Naruto and Jellal.

Even though Naruto and Jellal were carrying an arm full of branches, they were still able to hold some distance from the horde of green primates. But they knew that the Gorians would catch up to them in no time flat. Wasting no more time, Naruto skidded to a stop, much to Jellal's bewilderment and the primates' confusion. But before they could comprehend what was going on, the blonde turned to Jellal and gave him his pile of branches as he turned back to the horde of Gorians. It was then that Naruto caught them even more off-guard when he lunged towards the leading Gorian and rammed into the primate's chest head-on. The force of the collision caused the Gorian to be launched back into some of its other Gorians, sending them flying as the remaining Gorians stopped in their tracks.

"Why you- OH-OH!" One Gorian yelled in anger as it raised its right fist above its head. Naruto noticed the Gorian after he landed from his lunge and dodged its attack in an instant. Two other Gorians tried to surround the blond as he dodged. Both of them reached out to grab him but Naruto responded to this by jumping in the air and kicked one Gorian away. He then turned to the other primate with his cheeks inflated,

"_Nine-Tailed Fox's Howl (Kyūbikō no Unari)!_" Naruto spewed a crimson beam of compressed Ethernano directly at the other Gorian, blasting it a few kilometers while hitting more of the Gorians that stood in its path.

Just when the two remaining Gorians were about to smash Naruto with their giant fists, a strange mist had begun to surround them. As Naruto planted his feet on the ground, he turned around in time to see the Gorians fall onto the ground, snoring really loudly.

"What in the-" Naruto mumbled in confusion until he noticed the mist disappearing, revealing Jellal to be the perpetrator of the mist, "What did you do, Jellal? Was that some sort of spell?"

Jellal took a deep breath as he put the staff he was holding away, "Yeah, it was just simple _Sleep Magic (Nemuri no Mahō_). It isn't that great for straight-out offensive but when it comes to these kind of situations, I'm glad that I know _Sleep Magic._"

Naruto walked up to one of the sleeping Gorians and began to lightly tapped its ribs with his foot. Noticing how the primate didn't even winch at the boy's foot as it blissfully snored, Naruto turned to his companion awe-struck,

"Yeah, it really does come in handy at times like this. So how long will these crazy apes stay asleep for?"

"At the very least, a few hours or so. I can also manualing lift the spell and they'll wake in 5 seconds." Jellal said as Naruto walked away from the sleeping Gorians and approached the former. Just when the young blond grabbed some of the branches in Jellal's arms, they heard rustling in some nearby bushes, making Naruto drop the branches he picked up.

"Something's coming…" Jellal stated as the two of them turned to the source of the rustling. They got themselves ready when Naruto felt something familiar in the air. He couldn't understand the feeling at first but whatever was in the bushes, as it got closer, he then remembered where he felt this sensation before.

"Hold on. I-" Jellal turned to Naruto and saw the look of recognition on his face,

"Naruto?"

"I know this feeling. This feeling is coming from-" A loud footstep interrupted the blond's claims as a blackish-brown boot stepped out of the bushes. The two boys resumed their stances as a whole figure came out of the bushes. That was when upon getting a full glance of the figure, Naruto and the new arrival glanced at each other and saw recognition with each other.

Naruto recognized that long black mane-like hair from two years ago. The boy had grown a few more inches; even though he was taller than Naruto to begin with. Gajeel's outfit consists of a sleeveless black tunic with studded edges at the shoulders, a gray belt around his waist, and dark peach pants. He seemed to have gotten three piercings on his eyebrows along with two more on each side of his nose and below his mouth. Besides piercings, he also has two sets of five earrings pierced onto both ears. With his current appearance, the boy Naruto met two years ago now looks even more menacing than he used to back then.

While in Gajeel's eyes, he saw that Naruto had grown slightly taller but just about to reach the bottom of his chin. Instead of the white t-shirt and blue pants he wore back then, Gajeel noticed that the blond was now hearing an orange hoodie with short blue sleeves and blue wristbands. Naruto also wore green cargo pants and had the same opened sandals as before but in a bigger size. Compared to him, Gajeel saw that Naruto hardly changed a bit facial wise as he still had those same whisker-like markings on him.

While the two gazed off with each other, Jellal felt the tension in the atmosphere and was beginning to feel anxious about their stare off; that was until,

"AAAHHH! IT'S YOU!"

The two boys pointed at each other in an exaggerated manner, making Jellal somewhat befuddled from their behavior. They continued to point at each for a few more seconds until Naruto exclaimed,

"Aw man, you've gotten a lot more intimidating since I last saw you, Lizard-Eyes!"

"Again with the Lizard-Eyes! I already told you, Blondie-McWhiskers, the name's Gajeel! Get it through your dense skull!" Gajeel yelled back at Naruto for emphasizing his slit eyes. Upon hearing the _Dragon Slayer's_ remark, the blond got even more pissed at the slit-eyed male.

"And I told _you_ my name's Naruto! So you get it through your own skull first!"

The two males began to growl at each other while Jellal could only stand in place like he was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The blue-haired boy stepped in between Naruto and Gajeel in hopes of preventing any sort of confrontation,

"Look you two. Arguing with each other isn't going to resolve any sort of issue you guys have. So how about we calm down and we can-"

"**STAY OUT OF THIS, JELLAL/TATTOOED-EYE! THIS IS BETWEEN THE TWO OF US, GOT IT**!?"

Poor Jellal could only covered his ears upon hearing the loud exclamation from the two boys. It was fortunate that his _Sleep Magic_ didn't wore out yet; otherwise they would have even hindrances to deal with. Gajeel roughly pushed Jellal aside as he and Naruto stepped towards each other, making their foreheads come into contact,

"Now as I recalled correctly, we didn't get to finish up our fight from back then, didn't we, Blondie?" Gajeel said with a mixture of anticipation and reminiscence,

"Yeah I remember. But are you prepared for the butt whooping I'm about to give you, Slit-Eyes?" Naruto remarked back while Gajeel's eyes narrowed in annoyance upon hearing the name.

Jellal felt the intensity emitting from their gazes, signaling him to back away as soon as possible. The two boys backed away from each other but then instantly lunged forward a second later. Both sides threw several jabs, punches, and kicks but they managed to block every single one with ease or by countering with their own hits. During the exchange, Gajeel was smirking at how much Naruto was matching up to him for blow to blow. But unlike the black-haired boy, Naruto seems to be getting bruises from all of the blocking he has done so far. Wasting no more time, Gajeel backed off as his arm, from the elbow down, transformed into an iron club, shocking Jellal as he observed the battle. The dragon-slaying wizard extends the pole-arm towards Naruto as the blond leaps into the air to dodge it,

"Gi-hi. Not bad, Blondie-McWhiskers, but…" Another pole had extended out from the top of Gajeel's club-arm. Naruto didn't had time to react when the unexpected pole had struck him in his stomach, sending him crashing into a tree,

"I've got a lot more tricks up my sleeve this time."

Rustling was heard in the treetop that Naruto crash-landed into. The tumbling was getting louder and louder, making the slit-eyed tween and Jellal pay close attention to the blond's fall. But when Naruto crashed onto the ground, he suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke, surprising Gajeel and Jellal in the process,

"What in the-" Naruto suddenly dashed out of the bushes to the left as he socked Gajeel on his left cheek, sending the latter flying into a nearby trunk. Naruto shook his right hand in pain while Gajeel quickly got back up with a satisfied grin on his face,

"Well, what do you know? You too have some impressive tricks on ya." Gajeel said as he turned both arms into iron clubs and extended them towards Naruto. The blond managed to dodge both strikes while several more had extended out of Gajeel's arms, to which Naruto responds by avoiding all of the poles with precise timing. He then used the clubs he dodged as leverage and was now in the air above Gajeel. Infusing chakra into his fists, Naruto descended towards Gajeel who retracted his arms back while transforming his right hand into a medium-sized sledgehammer.

"_Iron Dragon's Hammer (Tetsuryūtsuchi)!_" The dragon slayer pulled his transformed fist back and flung it towards Naruto who had his right hand in the pose of a claw.

He then thrusted his chakra-infused hand towards Gajeel's fist, causing the two forces to collide with equal strength. The two were then repelled back when their attacks ended in a stalemate and created a strong backlash from Naruto's chakra-infused hand cracking Gajeel's hammer. The two instantly recovered as Gajeel lunged towards Naruto with his right hand now in the form of a sword. Naruto dodged the initial strike while Gajeel kept on trying to hack the blond who kept on dodging until he charged up chakra in his right hand again and grabbed the transformed appendage. Gajeel turned his left arm back into a club and stretched it towards Naruto who then thrusted his left hand in the same claw pose at the exact moment the club reached him. With chakra infused in his left hand, Naruto managed to shatter the club upon contact, surprising the _Dragon Slayer_ even more.

"There's just no way… My iron's supposed to be the strongest metal there is… How in the world are you able to break through my iron!?" The long-maned male asked in agitation while he tried to loosen Naruto's grip on his sword-arm to no avail. The blond tighten his grip on Gajeel's sword-arm to the point of creating cracks on the blade itself. Seeing no other choice, the slit-eyed male made the jagged edge of the blade to buzz in Naruto's grip, causing the blond to slowly lose his hold on the steel blade. Even with his hand infused with chakra, the blond could still feel the saw-like edge cut through his skin.

Tighten his grip as firm as possible, Naruto then threw Gajeel with all of his strength over to a horde of trees, causing them to fall over on top of the _Dragon Slayer_. While Naruto focused his _Tailed Beast _Chakra to heal the large gash on his palm, Jellal watched the entire exchange with shock. He was even more concerned at how they were able to be on par with each other when it's clearly shown that both of them have immense power that's practically inhuman.

"_And yet… As they continued to fight with one and another…._" The tattooed-eye boy thought to himself while he and Naruto observed Gajeel emerged from the pile of tree trunks with minor scrapes. But what was really surprising was that both he and Naruto seemed to be smiling, obviously relishing the fight they were having,

"_They seem to be complimenting each other through those grins. Almost as if.. they're acknowledging each other as worthy opponents, regardless of their different quirks._"

As the two males were observing the other's movement, they could tell that they were slowly running out of breath to keep their battle going. Sensing the other's intention, they've begun to inhale the oxygen or ethernano in their air as their cheeks inflate from the action. Both males focused their magic power into their mouths as they reclined their heads backs to take proper aim,

"_Nine-Tailed Fox's-"_

"_Iron Dragon's- (Tetsuryū no)"_

"_HOWL/ROAR (Hōkō)!"_

Both brought their heads back up as they spewed out their respective breath attacks. The two blasts collided with each other, both were trying to overpower the other in this final attack. As the two blasts were pushing each other back, the collision had caused a strong turbulence to occur, making Jellal struggling to keep his ground while some of the plant life was being blown away on the spot. Eventually, the two boys amplified more of their magic power into their breath attacks, causing the attacks to explode upon gaining more power. Both Naruto and Gajeel were sended flying from the sheer force of the stalemate but they soon regained their ground a second later. They had used almost half of their remaining power as they panted exhaustedly while watching the other's movements. But when they were about to charge at each other once more, a tremendous roar was heard nearby the area, catching the attention of the three boys.

"What in the-" Jellal exclaimed out loud as he unnoticably dispelled his _Sleep Magic_ on the Gorians, waking them up. But they, along with the three boys, heard the violent wing flapping above them so without any warning, they quickly ran away.

"That smell… No doubt, it's a-"

"You've got to be friggin kidding me!" The blond yelled out in irritation, making Gajeel annoyed at his abrupt yelling, "I've already had it with those stupid handless lizards! I don't want to deal with another one again!"

"Handless lizards? You're not saying that a Wyvern is approaching, are you Naruto?" The tattoo-eyed male asked his companion when the wing-flapping got closer and a giant Wyvern had landed in front of the three. Upon closer inspection, Naruto noticed that this Wyvern is slightly different than the ones he came across during his time with Kurama. For one thing, it was a bit bigger than the Wyverns in the mountains: in fact, its scales were bright lime-green while the ones in the mountains were grayish-blue in color. Besides height and scale color, the Wyvern in front of them had a more definite head that made it look like their life-long rivals: the Dragons.

"Gihi, so it was a stinking Wyvern after all. Wonder why it decided to come here all of a sudden?" The slit-eyed male asked in his usual manner while Naruto had an irritated look upon seeing the giant creature.

"I don't know but why I get the feeling that it came here for food?" Jellal theorized while Naruto muttered something about "It's always the same with these blasted lizards…".

The Wyvern let out a ferocious roar as it marched towards the three boys. They all dodged in different directions as the giant winged lizard tried to gnaw them. Naruto infused chakra into his fists, making them glow orangish-red, and launched several punches at the Wyvern. The blond leapt away just when the Wyvern swept its tail at him, leaving it wide-open. Luckily, Gajeel saw the opportunity as he transformed his right arm into an iron club and stretched it towards the Wyvern's stomach, making it tumble backwards.

"Oi, what do you think you're doing?! That thing's mine to deal with!" Naruto shouted irritatedly to Gajeel who just scoffed at the blond while retracting his arm back,

"What do you mean it's yours? Why should I have you hog all of the fun when I get to have the chances that those spineless reptiles are no match against a dragon?" The black-maned boy said arrogantly, making the whiskered blond even more pissed off with the taller male.

"You wanna repeat that, Lizard-Eyes? Because I'm already annoyed with these handless lizards already!"

"Well then just stay down and eat some bark to pass the time, Blondie-McWhiskers!"

The two boys then butted heads once more while Jellal looked at the two with a mixture of shock and annoyance. The Wyvern, who recovered from Gajeel's attack, didn't care what was going on and just simply began to march towards the three once more. The tattoo-eyed male noticed the Wyvern closing in again and turned his gaze back at the two boys,

"Can the two of you save the arguing for later!? The Wyvern's closing in again!" Jellal took out his staff once more after he took off his backpack and placed his pile of branches inside. The two stopped arguing for a brief moment and saw the Wyvern raised its head back to get a proper shot at gnawing them. The two glanced at each other for a brief moment and both have read the same thought in the other's eyes,

"_We'll settle this later; right now, this Wyvern needs to know its place!_"

As the Wyvern's head came into range, Naruto crossed his fingers together to make the hand sign for his usual _Shadow Clone Magic (Kage Bushin no Mahō)_. A platoon of ten clones appeared behind Naruto as they, along with the original, dodged the Wyvern's jaw. After that, the clones surrounded the Wyvern's head and tried their best to held it down through its horns and scales. The giant reptile tried to unfetter from the clones' grip but the clones had infused chakra into their hands, making their grip stronger. The original Naruto infused both chakra and ethernano into his right arm as swirls of crimson red and orange energy twirled around the arm. The clones sensed their creator coming in as they automatically dispersed when the original punched the Wyvern on the nose with his enhanced arm,

"_Nine-Tailed Fox's Strong Arm (Kyūbikō no Kyōken)!_"

An explosion occurred once the chakra and ethernano in Naruto's fist made contact with the Wyvern's nose. It pushed the giant reptile back a few meters as Naruto was sended flying from the recoil of the attack. Seeing his opportunity, Gajeel leapt into the air as his right arm transformed into some kind of large spearhead,

"_Iron Dragon's Lance: Demon Logs (Tetsuryūsō・Kishin)!_"

The black-maned male fired several steel spears from the large spearhead in rapid succession, hitting the Wyvern dead on. The giant reptile later emerged from the cloud of dirt that was created from it being impaled to the ground from Gajeel's attack. With a deafening roar and locking onto the healing Naruto, it raised its wing above its head to squash the vulnerable blond. But just before Naruto could dodge the attack, a violet beam hit the Wyvern straight in the face, knocking it off-balance. The blond quickly turned around to see that Jellal was the one who fired the beam as he had his staff pointed at the wyvern with smoke emitting from the tip.

"Don't just stand there, Naruto! Keep your focus on the Wyvern while it's wide-open!"

The blond turned his attention back to the giant reptile behind him while Gajeel kept on assaulting the Wyvern with more of his relentless attacks. Not wanting the _Dragon Slayer _to have all of the glory, the blond charged towards the reptile as he created more clones on the way. They made their arms and feet glow orangish-red as they leapt towards the Wyvern with unbelievable strength and attacked the reptile with a barrage of enhanced punches and kicks. The army of clones, along with the original and Gajeel, kept on their assault until the Wyvern roared out loud, causing them to be sent flying back to Jellal while the clones dispersed. The two managed to regain their ground and skidded to a stop just before they almost bumped into Jellal. The Wyvern charged towards the three soon after it stopped roaring. Jellal pointed his staff at the reptile once more and fired another beam from it, pushing the Wyvern back.

The boys took this chance to attack as Gajeel transformed his right arm into the jagged blade once more while Naruto had a bubbly orange-red cloak surrounding his hands. With their enhancements, the boys repeatedly slashed and clawed at the vulnerable Wyvern, making it tumble backwards after taking all of those hits head-on. A few seconds later, the Wyvern regained its balance again but the three noticed that it was beginning to get exhausted from their attacks,

"Well now, the damn lizard's finally calling it quits. You're really to wrap things up, Naruto?" The blond had a shocked expression on his face upon hearing Gajeel call him by his name. Regaining his composure, the blond nodded once and replied eagerly,

"Ah, I'm ready when you are, Gajeel."

The blond turned his head to his companion as he saw Jellal nod his head in apprehension. The three and the Wyvern tensefully stared at each other, watching for an opportunity to strike. As time passed by with neither side moving, the leaves on the surrounding trees began to fall in anticipation for the final strike. Suddenly, as one random leaf had fallen on top of a thistle, the Wyvern charged at the three boys once again. The Wyvern raised its tail and swung it towards the three whom dodged it in the nick of time. Jellal, after rolling to the Wyvern's back, placed his staff onto the ground as he made some weird handsign, causing the staff to glow purple,

"_Now!_" The staff amplified multiple waves of energy from beneath as they all envelop the giant reptile inside. The waves then cloaked themselves onto the Wyvern as they exploded altogether, damaging the Wyvern. Upon seeing the Wyvern tumble backwards from Jellal's attack, a green magic seal appeared under Gajeel's feet as his entire body became covered in iron-like scales,

"_Iron Dragon's (Tetsuryū no)-_" Gajeel lunged forward and planted his right fist into the Wyvern's ribcage,

"_Hard Fist (Gō Ken)!_"

A magic seal had appeared in front of Gajeel's fist as it empowered more magic power into his punch, sending the Wyvern flying into a crowd of tree,

"Oi Naruto! It's all yours now!" The iron-clad male bellowed loud as he turned his head slightly to see Naruto summoning another clone as it gathered tons of ethernano into the orange in Naruto's palm, making the sphere expand and creating several red rings to surround it.

"_Tailed Beast Secret Art (Bijū Ōgi)!_"

The clone dispersed after completing its task and Naruto began to charge towards the Wyvern with the sphere still in his right palm,

"_Roaring Enigma: Spiralling Wave Bomb (Gōzen'nazo・Rasenhadōdan)!_"

Naruto skidded to a stop as he placed his other hand on top of the sphere and then threw it towards the Wyvern. The sphere hit its mark as it pulled the reptile in its course of trajectory, damaging it with the red rings and the sheer force of its compressed chakra and ethernano. Once the sphere reached at least a kilometer, it exploded; destroying a portion of the forest while hurting the Wyvern even more. The backlash of the attack reached the three boys as they managed to held their ground until the sudden gust disapparated, leaving a cloud of smoke to risen in the distance.

"Holy crap…" The male _Dragon Slayer _said in awe while the iron scales on his body disappeared, "That was some spell you managed to pull out, Maelstrom. It wasn't all that bad considering..."

Upon hearing the word "Maelstrom", Naruto was about to yell at Gajeel for not saying his name until he remembered something. During the time he spent with Kurama, he had learned that not only does his name mean a special ramen topping, it also meant "Maelstrom". So after processing it in his head, the blond turned his head and goofily smiled at Gajeel,

"Well, it's wasn't that biggie; but I gotta admit, your iron-like scales were pretty cool too, Redfox."

Jellal sighed in relief upon seeing that the two weren't going to start another fight. But when he saw both of them walking towards each other, the tattoo-eyed boy began to reconsider his chain of thought. That was, until they bumped fists when they're a few feet apart,

"You kicked some Wyvern butt back there; let's settle our little dispute some other time? Maybe by then, we'll be a lot more badass than we were today." The black-maned male wagered to the blond in front of him. Naruto raised an eyebrow in amusement but then nodded his head a second later,

"I'll be waiting until then. Redfox." The two boys pulled their fists apart from each other as Gajeel began to turn the other way and walked into the depths of the forest. The male _Dragon Slayer _turned to look at Naruto and smirked at him one last time before heading deeper into the forest.

Jellal began to approach Naruto as they saw Gajeel walking further out of sight and the former nudged his elbow into Naruto's side.

"Oi! What in the world was that for, dattebayo!?"

"Geez Naruto, just when I thought the two of you would duke it out again; you guys go and bump fists with each other while declaring another fight. It almost looked like the whole forest won't live to see another day." Jellal said in amusement while Naruto crossed his arms and turned away in an immature manner,

"Tsk, as if I would try to pick another fight while we're both exhausted from the last one." Jellal raised an eyebrow at Naruto's explanation. Seeing his friend's confusion, the blond then added,

"And besides, I know for a fact that we'll see each other again. I don't know why but I can just tell from our fight. So until then, the two of us are going to get even more stronger so our next fight will be exciting as it was today."

"If you say so, Naruto." Jellal said while putting the staff out of the ground and onto his backpack. He looked up to the sky and saw that the sun was starting to descend from the horizon, "We should get back to Wendy and Sayla. I think our "little" delay had pass through the afternoon."

"We don't need to rush, Jellal." The tattoo-eyed mage looked at his companion as the blond pointed to one of the remaining bushes. The bushes made a rustling sound upon Naruto pointing it out as Wendy stepped out of it with Sayla's hand in her grasps.

"Jellal, Naruto-san; we found you!" The little girl jovially exclaimed as she let go of Sayla's hand and ran up to the two boys. As Sayla slowly approached the three, she noticed that the two were smeared in dirt which didn't go unnoticed by Wendy,

"Why are the two of you covered up so badly? Was it that hard to find firewood?" Wendy asked the two boys curious as Naruto scratches the back of his head in embarrassment, obviously trying to think of an excuse,

"Well, you see, Wendy. We sort of ran into a kind of mess-"

"The kind of mess that Naruto seems to attract Gorians with and make them chase us all day." Jellal teasingly said while interrupting the blond, making the latter somewhat annoyed. It did however make Wendy giggle at Naruto's "silliness",

"That does sound exactly like what Naruto-san would do!" Naruto looked at the girl in shock before letting out a sigh and uncomfortably laughed at his own predicament.

Even though she hasn't comprehend happiness just yet, Sayla still found it intriguing to see Naruto being teased yet he acts so carefree about it. The blond noticed Sayla gazing at them so he goofily smiles at her, breaking her emotionless mein. Just when the laughing finally ceased, a loud grumbling was heard as Naruto held his stomach embarrassedly,

"So anyone up for some dinner now? Because I'm starving right now."

"Perhaps." The three turned their heads towards Sayla who narrowed her eyes at Naruto and Jellal in an observing manner, "But you two must clean yourselves first before we start eating."

Naruto and Jellal turned to look at each other before scuffing each other to get rid of the dust and dirt stuck on their clothes and hair. Wendy and Sayla, unfortunately, were caught in the crossfire so they began to dash out of the way (more of Wendy dragging Sayla) before they got even dirtier from their scuffle.

"Was there any particular reason why you two didn't clean yourselves away from us?" Sayla raised an eyebrow puzzlingly while Wendy stared at the two with an angry pout. But this didn't last long as the little girl began to laugh at how the two boys were comically cleaning each other. Eventually, the two managed to clean themselves where there's just barely any dirt or dust on them. Naruto turned to the girls with his usual grin before he turned back around and walked in that direction,

"Nah, it's just what most people would do just to mess with each other." Even though he couldn't see the she-demon, he could tell that she narrow her eyes even more in confusion. Hearing his stomach grumble even more, Naruto turned to the others and said out loud,

"Can we please find a decent spot to eat now? My stomach's really getting hungry at this point."

Both Jellal and Wendy giggled at Naruto's predicament as they soon began to walk up to where Naruto is. As the three were in the same parameter, Sayla watched the three interact once more while catching up to them. Even though she has only traveled with them for a few weeks, Sayla felt their jovial personalities help her feel like she was a part of their group all this time. And even if she was to be treated like an outcast to most people, she knew that they will be the only ones to see her as something more. Especially since who could resist looking at the infamous grins that Naruto always gives to cheer up everyone around him.

* * *

Somewhere in the remains of Konoha, a young male explored the fallen village, his eyes filled with the urge to find someone in particular. He might've look like an average boy with black neck-length hair but his bat-like ears and the tattoos on his forehead and left shoulder made him stand out more. Especially when it came to the extremely long sleeve that he had to conceal his right arm. No matter how tired his legs felt, inside his head, he had to keep going. Because somewhere out there, he'll find whoever it was that he was looking for,

"So _Meiō-sama(Underworld King) _was right about another of our brethren being here. I must say, it's a bit shocking to find out that you still have the appearance of a young human insect."

The boy turned around to see a cloaked figure approaching him with the air of someone superior in power. He couldn't tell what the person's face looked like besides from her chin and lips, he could see from the small glimpse in the cloak that the person was a woman. What really caught his attention was that when he looked down towards the woman's feet, he could see bird-like talons in place of usual feet.

"I can see that you're rather curious as to who I am." The boy looked up to the woman's head as he could see her lips curl up into a rather gentle smile, "Fear not, little one. For I am just like you, a demon created from a _Book of Zeref_ _(Zerefu Sho)_."

The woman's answer surprised him but his facial expression didn't show it though. Narrowing his eyes in questioning, he asked the cloaked demon,

"Why are you here?"

The smile remained on the demon's face as she kneeled down to the boy's height and took out her arm from her cloak. The young demon saw the she-demon's fingers were sharp talons as they softly brushed through his short hair. He looked up and he could see inside the hood that the woman's face was covered in some kind of face mask. Knowing that he still wants his answer, the hooded demon replied,

"I came here in search of my fellow brethren on my superior's orders to recruit for our guild, Tartarus." The boy still had the questioning look in his eyes as the she-demon continued, "But before I explain that to you, I know that there's something else that you want to know. Now do tell, I won't criticize you for whatever question you may have."

The male demon took a deep breath in and exhaled softly as he said the question that had plagued his mind for who knows how long.

"If I join your guild, will I be able to search for more of our kind?"

"Perhaps; is there another of our kind that you want to sought out, young one?" The she-demon asked curiously as the younger demon slowly nodded his head a few seconds later. "Rest assured then, if you join Tartarus now, you can make a request to _Meiō-sama _to let you continue your search for this particular person of yours. Now what do you say, young one?"

The younger demon remained silent for a little while. His mind felt like he shouldn't at first but upon hearing that he could continue to travel in search of whoever he was looking for, his answer became clear. With no hesitation, the demon nodded his head once to which the cloaked demon's smile curled up even more,

"Good. Now then, I haven't introduced myself, haven't I?" The demon stopped brushing through the younger demon's hair as she stood up and looked down at the boy with her smile still intact,

"I am known as the _Slave Star Angel (Reiseiten)_ of Tartarus: Kyouka. May I ask what it is your name, young one?"

The younger demon looked down from the cloaked demon's gaze in thought but then looked back up as he introduced himself to her.

"Luklab."

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**As I said before, I might update this story once or twice a month depending on my current situation. But I ask you all to be patient if I don't hold up on this if there's a change in my personal matters outside of Fanfiction. Besides personal matter, I've also been constantly on watch for the Fairy Tail manga to gather the necessary information I need for this story. And before I close this ending note, as you all can see with the ending, there's going to be changes for the Tartarus Arc. It probably won't be satisfying to some but I hope that I can still please you guys with what I have in store. **

**Thanks for reading and please leave a review. It's greatly appreciated. **


	11. Demon Swordsman of the Hidden Mist

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 10: Demon Swordsman of the Hidden Mist

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Naruto. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima while Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

_September X777, _

It was a peaceful afternoon in the town of Magnolia. Birds were chirping, civilians were chatting, kids were playing. Even the frequent visitors from the Konoha settlement seemed to mend in with the jovial atmosphere. It was unfortunate that inside the Fairy Tail guild; things weren't as peaceful as it was outside…

"What was that, Ice Stripper!?" Natsu bumped heads with his infamous rival as sparks were flying between them.

"You heard me, Pyro Freak! Just how many times do you have to come in here and cause some kind of ruckus?! Some of us have something that they need peace and quiet for!" The raven-haired male said while pushing the salmon-haired boy back in irritation.

"Well it's not my fault that your stupid habit is annoying me! I mean, when was the last time you didn't strip!?"

"What are you-" Gray looks down to see everything but his boxers were stripped off. "Aw man, not again!" Everyone who was watching sighed at the commotion the two boys were making. Especially with most of the kids as they saw the two duking it out again,

"Do they always have to fight whenever they have some kind of disagreement?" Elfman asked the brown-haired girl who just shrugged in response,

"Trust me, they alway have something against each other. We don't know why but it always happen no matter what."

"You would think that they would have some courtesy," Sakura exasperatedly said to the group, "Considering you guys are still adjusting to the atmosphere here, right Lisanna?"

"It's okay, Sakura." The younger girl said to the older girl, "If they need to fight, then let them. They're going to run out of steam eventually."

"Trust us when we say this but some of their arguments might take a long time to 'cool' off." The shorter blue-haired girl commented just when the two boys began to comically sock each other.

Unfortunately, their fight had lead them towards Erza who was sitting nearby, eating her usual cheesecake. When she finally noticed that they were approaching, Natsu and Gray trampled over her and made her cheesecake fall onto the guild floor.

"Well... they've just screwed themselves." The brown-hair girl monotonically commented while taking a sip from her drink. A second had passed as Erza fully processed what had happened. She approached both Natsu and Gray who were still fighting with each other and grabbed both of them by their hair. She pulled them apart and slammed their heads together soon after, leaving them lying on the ground in pain.

"How many times do I have to keep telling you two? You're not allowed to fight in the guild hall, do you _**understand**_?" The scarlet-haired girl scolded, emphasizing the last word in a menacing tone.

"**Yes Ma'am/A-Aye!**" Both boys exclaimed panically while getting back up in an instant. The brown-haired girl and Sakura giggled at their responses. But that all changed when Erza was suddenly kicked to the other side of the guild hall by a white blur.

"Oh no.. Mira-nee, why did you have to do that?" Lisanna said in a scolding manner upon recognizing that it was her older sister that kicked Erza down.

Mirajane, to an extent, seemed to changed her demonic arm back to normal and she got rid of the cloak she wore when she first came to Fairy Tail. After ditching the cloak, she also changed her attire to an extent. Instead of a simple spaghetti top and skirt that was underneath the cloak, she now dons a midriff-revealing halter and short-shorts complimented with a belt that had a demon-shaped buckle. Mira also has thigh-high boots, a simple silver spiral bracelet on her right wrist, and a collar on her neck. Besides the outfit change, she also has her hair worn up in a high ponytail with a violet-red ribbon tying it.

"Do what? I didn't do anything, Lisanna." The older girl replied back to her sister while picking her ear, "If anything, it's her fault for not accepting my fight from yesterday."

The others just stared at Mira incredulously until they heard wood falling onto the ground. They turned their heads to the sound and saw Erza emerging from the rubble with an angry sneer on her face, scarring the boys while the girls just sighed at what was about to happen.

"And the blood fest's about to begin... " The brown-haired girl commented while the shorter blue-haired girl turned to the former with a disbelieving look on her face,

"Mou, Cana! You don't have to say it like that!" The shorter girl exclaimed to the older girl as she nonchalantly shrugged at the girl's scolding. Just when Cana had shrugged, both Erza and Mira charged at each other with malicious gleams in their their eyes,

"I'LL BEAT YOU TO A BLOODY PULP!" The armored red-head yelled out at her attacker who replied back with the same angry tone,

"I LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY, ARMOR-PLATE!"

The two girls instantly clashed heads while gripping onto the other's hands as they try to overcome the other in terms of physical strength. The kids just watched both of them continuing to fight with one and another while calling each other various names,

"JUST STAY DOWN, YOU MIDRIFF-BEARING WITCH!"

"WHY DON'T YOU, METAL-WEARING SCANDAL!"

"Way to keep it original, girls…" Cana muttered quietly while boringly watching the girls continue their scuffle.

"Oh sure. She gets all mad when we get into a fight but she can wreck the whole guild whenever she wants to…" Gray commented while Natsu and the others watched Erza and Mira duking it out. The former seemed to had flames burning in his eyes as the fighting continued on,

"It doesn't matter." The others turned to look at Natsu as he continues to watch the two girls fighting, "Just one of these day, I'm going to give them a beating they'll never forget."

"Honestly you idiot, can you think of anything else besides fighting all of the time?" The fire wizard turned his attention from the fight to Sakura who had an annoyed look on her face, "Take it from someone who doesn't get into petty fights like you usually do with Gray."

Upon hearing the pink-haired girl's comment, Gray, along with Cana and the blue-haired girl, all sighed exasperatedly. Elfman and Lisanna looked between the three in confusion at their behavior while Sakura heard the sighing from the three,

"You guys want to explain something here?" Sakura raised an eyebrow in anticipation at their answer,

"Look no offense, Sakura, but you're not exactly one to talk about getting into 'petty' fights, as you call them." Gray blatantly stated, making Sakura slightly twitch in anger at the semi-naked boy's accusation,

"Gray has a point, Sakura." Cana supported Gray's comment as Sakura irritatedly turned her attention back to Erza and Mira's fight, "Ever since Sasuke has joined the guild, you've always been getting into competitions about him with that girl that usually visits the guild on occasions with the other Konoha kids..."

"Well.. Okay, we might've gotten into petty fights ourselves…" Sakura reluctantly admitted, "But at least we were fighting for '_specific' _reasons, unlike you two dimwits."

Both Natsu and Gray turned to Sakura with offended expressions and were about to yell at her until the former heard someone walking past them. Natsu turned around and saw that Sasuke was the one who had walked past them. The others noticed Natsu suddenly look behind them without a word so they looked in his direction and saw Sasuke walking towards the request board.

"Tch. I never understood why he doesn't bother to talk to us. I mean he seems to be alright with you guys but then he ignores the rest of us. What's his deal?" Gray said to Elfman and Lisanna as they looked at each other for guidance.

It has been a few weeks after Sasuke and the Strauss siblings joined the guild, the former was the only one who kept his distances away from the other guild members. They didn't know why he seemed so aloof to them but every time they try to interact with him, he would simply stay silent and walk away like they weren't there. But after many tries, the guild members just decided to leave him to his accords so they would possibly be spared from his "wrath". Although in Elfman and Lisanna's eyes, they knew he was kind and understanding (in his own way). Partly because of his part in convincing Mirajane to stay at Fairy Tail with some cryptic words that Mira understood completely. Ever since, the others have speculated that he might've become a Fairy Tail member because of that very incident.

Just as Lisanna was about to reply, the others noticed Sasuke pulling a pamphlet off of the request board and walked past them again to get to Makarov. The short master noticed Sasuke's presence as the latter presented to him the pamphlet he took,

"Hmm… This request you're taking is rather difficult for someone your age." Makarov told the stoic boy who just stood there in boredom, "Are you really sure about about this?"

One of the older men who were drinking nearby glanced over the short man's shoulder and recognized the request,

"The master has a point here, kid. According to Hiruzen-san, this job was asked by a well-known bridge builder who needs bodyguards to bring him back to the Land of Waves." The older man said, "Not to mention that the road that leads to the Land of Waves are inhabited by not only vicious animals but also a whole mob of bandits."

"Macao's right there, kiddo." A pompadour man said as he lit the cigarette in his mouth, "You might be capable of taking care of yourself but even you can get exhausted eventually."

The raven-haired boy stood his ground while staring at the three men with uninterested eyes. Seeing that there was no way to convince him otherwise, Makarov then took a chug of his drink and declared,

"If that is what you wish, then you may go."

The two men were about to protest at the old man's decision, the latter interrupted them and finished his statement,

"However, you must at least be accompanied by at least two others and a veteran wizard. They're your fellow guildmates after all so take the time to know them all in times that you need to work with others."

Despite being very far away; out of nowhere, Sakura dashed towards the bar, engulfing the others in dust clouds. The four noticed the girl stopping in front of them as the older men sweat-dropped at the sight of the girl's fanatic eyes. The men at the bar were aware that Sakura had develop a deep fan-girl crush on the new guild member. They also figured that when Sasuke gets older, he'll be a looker as a young adult and attracting a lot of attention from the females, much to their amusement. But regardless of the obvious attraction, the young male just ignored Sakura and her friend when they began to fight for his attention.

"I can come along with you, Sasuke-kun! At the moment, I don't have any brand of magic but I can treat any injuries you obtain and fend off any bandits that catches you off-guard."

Even though her proposal was considerate to some, the other bunch of wizards, however, were able to see that she was using it as an excuse to get closer to Sasuke. Sasuke emotionlessly looked at the long pink-haired girl and eventually narrowed his eyes in disdain. Just when he was about to say something cold, Natsu suddenly came up to them and yelled out,

"Oi, Sakura! You can't just run up to Sasuke and volunteer your help if you can't even use some kind of magic!" Sakura became extremely irritated at Natsu's intrusion and his accusation and suddenly emitted an enraged aura, making the others back up a little. Just as she was about to bash Natsu's head in, Mirajane suddenly pushed Natsu to the side and gets in Sakura's face,

"Mira-nee…" Lisanna exasperatedly groaned while Elfman began shaking in nervousness at what was about to happen,

"Look here, Miss Pompous-Forehead. I usually wouldn't agree with what Natsu says but I can say that you're not going to go with Sasuke. Especially when you're only going with him just to have some fantasy of yours come true."

"What did you just called me, Witch!?" Sakura angrily growled as she and Mirajane began to venomously glare at each other. Fortunately, Makarov used his brand of magic, _Titan (Kyojin/Jiyaianto)_, to separate the two raging tweens before the situation escalated, much to the others' relief.

"Now both of you calm down this instant! It doesn't matter if one person has one brand of magic while the other doesn't, we are all still members of Fairy Tail! And as members of this guild, I will not have these kind of arguments in the guildhall and instead of having those arguments, we help each other to grow stronger and cover each other's weaknesses. Do you all understand what I'm saying?"

Both Sakura and Mirajane looked at each other with disdain at first but when the Master said his piece, they eventually backed off and turned away from each other. Seeing that the situation has ceased, the Master turned his attention to Sasuke and was about to tell Sasuke on who to take with him, a familiar voice spoke its opinion to him,

"If you really need a veteran wizard to accompany Sasuke on this escort mission, then I can do that for you, Makarov-dono."

"I can see that you still have your habits of being a former ANBU, but I do appreciate your offer, Kakashi." Makarov said as he slightly turned his head around to see the Konoha shinobi behind him, squatting on the counter. Everyone else, except for Erza and Natsu, were shocked to see the masked man appear out of nowhere to speak casually to their Master.

Upon seeing the masked shinobi, Natsu ran up to Makarov and Kakashi as he stared at the latter with star-struck eyes,

"That was awesome, Masked Guy! Are you really some kind of ninja that Tou-chan has told me about?! And how in the world did you just appear without us even noticing you!?"

The younger kids just sighed at Natsu's enthusiasm to Kakashi's appearance. Even though they've explained to him several times, it would seem that Natsu still doesn't understand the concept of shinobi tactics. Kakashi slightly sweat-dropped at the name Natsu gave him but still found the young boy somewhat intriguing due to his brand of magic.

"So you're Natsu, right?" Natsu was puzzled by the man's sudden question but nodded nevertheless. Kakashi stared at the boy for a few seconds before eye-smiling at him,

"I can see a lot of potential in you. You might not be as smart as the others, but I can still tell that your _Dragon Slayer Magic (Metsuryū Mahō)_ says otherwise. After all, it's rare to come across those who have learned _Lost Magic (Rosuto Majikku)_ these days."

Natsu rubs his nose in embarrassment from the praise he received from the ninja. Kakashi got up from the counter and walked up to the young boy. Once in the boy's proximity, the masked shinobi looked down to Natsu and asked,

"So is it okay if I asked you to come along with me and Sasuke on this mission?"

The others, excluding Makarov, were flabbergasted at the man's sudden request. Sure they knew Natsu has potential as well but they also know that if he were to go all out, something was assured to be destroyed. The adults and kids were about to tell the masked man to reconsider until Natsu yelled eagerly,

"You bet, Masked Guy! I'll beat those bandits to a pulp and show that no one should mess with a _Dragon Slayer_!" Even though Kakashi was slightly impressed by Natsu's enthusiasm, he couldn't help but feel somewhat offended when Natsu still calls him "Masked Guy". Regardless, he nodded and turned to Sasuke who just stared at the commotion with emotionless eyes and asked,

"This won't be an issue now, won't it Sasuke?"

The question might've came as friendly, but the young male knew that he shouldn't refuse the masked shinobi. Especially since he could sense that the masked man was strong and there was something familiar emitting from the man's concealed left eye. Having no other choice, the raven-haired boy nodded and walked past the others,

"Do what you want. As long as you don't get in the way, I really don't care."

* * *

"Ano, Jellal. Why is Naruto-san staring at Sayla-san like that?"

The blue-haired male turned to his left and looked down to Wendy for a brief second before focusing his attention back to the blond tween,

"Honestly Wendy, I'm not entirely too sure. But seeing him like this, I think I know what he's up to…" Jellal told the young girl as they continue to focus on the commotion that was occurring.

Their whiskered friend was staring really closely at the she-demon, almost as if he was trying to figure out something. Even though Sayla still had her emotionless composure, she too was a bit concerned as to what Naruto was thinking at this moment.

"What exactly are you up to?" The blond remained silent to Sayla's question, making her eyes narrow even more in suspension.

This kept on for what seemed to be forever in Wendy and Jellal's eyes. Just when things were about to get even more boring, Naruto snapped out of his trance and bopped his clenched right hand into his other hand in enlightenment,

"I got it!"

The she-demon saw the grin that Naruto was bearing and couldn't help but feel creeped out by it. She then backed away a little when the blond got in a little too close to her face. Wendy tilted her head in confusion at the commotion while Jellal felt sympathy for Sayla's situation. All three of them watched Naruto kneel down and began to dig through his backpack, looking for something. Eventually, he found what he was looking and took it out to show to everyone.

"Ta-da!" The blond's grin still remained on his face while the others either had curious, confused, or stoic expressions on their faces. Their eyes were focused on the object that was in Naruto's hand: it was a long white cloth that would probably be mistaken as a headband or a bandana. Still not understanding what the blond was thinking, Wendy stepped towards Naruto while keeping her eyes onto the white cloth,

"Naruto-san, what are you planning to do with that?" The younger girl asked while the blond was angling the cloth in his hands like a ruler at Sayla's head. His facial expression clearly read that he was trying to figure out what to do with the white cloth. After a few seconds of observation, he took a step closer to Sayla and was now just a few inches away from her.

He then began to wrap the white cloth around Sayla's head as the latter was starting to become slightly curious at the blond's actions. Tying the cloth with one tight tug, Naruto finished wrapping the top of Sayla's head with the strand of fabric. Taking a step back, the blond, along with Jellal and Wendy, took in the current appearance of the she-demon. Naruto managed to wrap the cloth like a turban and now Sayla's horns were completely concealed, although the concealed appendages now made her head slightly bigger.

"Um… Naruto, was there a particular reason why you just wrapped a long piece of fabric around her head?" The tattooed male asked in confusion as Naruto turned to Jellal with his infamous grin on his face,

"Well of course I have a reason, Jellal! I mean, what would happen if we have to stop somewhere and the people there will see her horns?"

"They will figure out that she's a demon. But I still don't get- " Jellal answered back and was just about to question Naruto further until it clicked in, "Oh… That's actually kind of smart. But regardless, what if we just happen to encounter wizards? That cloth won't be able to help us if they managed to analyze her magic power or if they managed to snag the cloth off. So what do we do then?"

Wendy and Sayla watched the boys debate on the current situation about concealing the latter's demonic origins. The she-demon was starting to feel slightly uncomfortable that she had become the main topic of their argument. So in order to make it stop, she stepped in between the two as they focused their attention onto her,

"Listen, it doesn't matter if my horns were wrapped up in this cloth or my ethernano remains the same. In the end, I'm still a demon in flesh and in blood; nothing can ever change that." Both boys turned their attention onto her when she spoke. When she noticed that they've stopped arguing, she was about to say something else when Naruto stepped forward and stared at her with the same serious gaze he uses when he's fighting or defending his point,

"Sure, this might not be the best plan that someone like me could come up with. But to me, it doesn't really matter if it manages to succeed or not. All I care about is that you'll be able to walk into other villages as an individual, as a human being. Just with that result alone, I'll be contempt with it, even if it does fails some time down the road."

After hearing Naruto's little speech, Jellal couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the whiskered blond's answer. He had sort of expected something like that from Naruto, especially that he was just doing his best to help his friends out in any way he could think of. Sayla seemed to understand what Naruto was saying and so she couldn't help but soften her emotionless face and smile slightly at the blond's proclamation. The she-demon was starting to feel more adjusted to the cloth wrapped on her head and thus she walked out of Naruto and Jellal's way and heading northward.

"I'm assuming she's alright with it, right?" Naruto leaned over to Jellal as he whispered to the latter. The latter shrugged in response when the she-demon turned around and raised an eyebrow in a sense of silently asking why the three of them are still standing there. Wendy began to run ahead of the boys who were still standing off to the side until they got the notion and caught up to the girls.

The four continued their way on the abundant path in the forest. The afternoon air blew right past them as Wendy runs ahead to embrace the breeze momentarily. Both Naruto and Jellal smiled amusedly at the young girl's actions while Sayla looked on in curiosity as they walked behind Wendy in a casual pace. As they walked on the path that could lead them anywhere, Naruto came to a stop, causing both Jellal and Sayla to stop and turn around to see the blond staring into the distance.

"Naruto, what's wrong?" The younger girl heard Jellal speak as she noticed the three stopped walking and saw Naruto still staring in the opposite direction. The blond slightly lift his head to look up to the sky and saw several birds flying away from something. Just when Wendy walked back to Jellal and Sayla, a loud boom was heard as several more birds began flying away and getting caught up in the other flock, creating havoc in the sky. But that was the least of both Jellal and Wendy's concerns as it was more focused on their friend who suddenly left them behind and was now heading towards the source of the commotion.

"Matte! Naruto, where are you going!?" The blond didn't stop to respond back as he was focused on getting to the location of the noise. Jellal rubbed his head as he sighed tiredly,

"I'm really starting to think that he has some kind of habit that always involves him getting into some kind of trouble…" Wendy looked at the older boy in confusion while the she-demon just stared at the direction Naruto ran off to. Seeing no other choice, Jellal grabbed Wendy's wrist as they began to run after their blonde friend,

"Well, we might as well go after him, so he doesn't cause even more trouble. Right Wendy?"

"Hai!" The young girl replied back as she was trying to match Jellal's running speed. Sayla noticed them getting farther away and eventually began to follow them. Little did they know, the four of them were soon going to face against a danger that was classified as "demonic".

* * *

Even though the masked shinobi was reluctant on taking Sakura along with them, her skills in first-aid turned out to be actually useful at the time. Especially when it came to the sudden ambush from the Demon Brothers and Natsu freezing up when it came to facing them. The boy might have some fighting experience from his time learning his _Dragon Slayer Magic_ and his times fighting Gray but this, to him, was a different experience entirely. Natsu was never brought up in a life/death situation, so when the Demon Brothers suddenly appeared and "killed" Kakashi, the pink-haired boy couldn't help but to freeze up in fear. Sure Kakashi revealed himself to be alive, but all that Natsu could think of at this point was how Sasuke managed to retain his cool. Especially since the latter taunted him after seeing Natsu tense up after talking so big in the guildhall.

From there onward, Natsu steeled himself ready for the rest of the mission, although he did comedically panicked when he slitted his hand to get the poison out of him. That aside, it turned out that the request Sasuke picked out turned out to be more difficult than it was supposed to be as Kakashi had suspected it to be. So the masked man had their client, Tazuna, by his choice to reveal the real details about the mission. And when he did, only Natsu and Sasuke to an extent were shocked to hear the details of the mission. It turns out that Gatō, a famous shipping magnate, had taken control over Tazuna's homelands to use as a base for his drug and smuggling businesses, isolating the country completely and making it deprived of any food stock from the other countries. Tazuna hoped that the bridge he was building would bring prosperity back to his homelands but Gatō became aware of this and hired several mercenaries and shinobi to assassinate the bridge builder.

Upon hearing Tazuna's reasons for deceiving them, the group still decides to escort the bridge builder back to the Land of Waves without any resentment. As they made their way to Tazuna's home after arriving, Natsu tried to prove himself once more but failed comedically when he accidentally attacked a stray rabbit. Which catches up to the current situation happening now as everyone quickly ducked to dodge a flying broadsword coming at them. As it wedged itself into a tree trunk, a man instantly appeared standing on the hilt of the massive sword. He was a tall man with a pale complexion and short spiky brown hair. He wore a forehead protector sideways and had bandages wrapped around his lower face like a mask. His attire consists of a belt around his exposed chest along with striped baggy pants, brown opened sandals, and matching wrist/leg warmers.

Tension filled the air as both Natsu and Sakura were trembling at the amount of power the man was emitting. Even Sasuke was slightly shaking in fear of the man's presence. After a few seconds, the man finally spoke while continuing to observe the group,

"Well now, this explains why the Demon Brothers failed in killing the old man. After all, no average man shouldn't underestimate _Kakashi of the Sharingan (Sharingan no Kakashi)._" The raven haired boy turned to the masked man in shock as Sakura and Natsu looked confused at the revelation.

"Zabuza Momochi…. The _Demon of the Hidden Mist (Kirigakure no Kijin)_..."

"Sha..rengan… What the heck is that mummy talking about?" The pink-haired boy loudly asked in confusion while the others just continued to observe the swordsman,

"_Kakashi of the Sharingan_…. I never imagine that a famous shinobi like you who has such a large bounty in the bingo book would play escort for a measly bridge builder. But nevertheless, I get to experience fighting with you close at hand." The bandaged swordsman leaned down to the hilt of the sword and grabs it.

The kids saw the masked man reached to the headband that was covering the left side of his face. The tension began to rise up again as the three were watching in anticipation when more of Kakashi's concealed side was being unveiled at a time.

"I'll admit…" The three became confused as to why the masked man said that, "Out of all of the bandits that could've been lurking about, I didn't expect a famous missing-nin like yourself to be someone's hound dog. But a mission is a mission so in order to fulfill that mission, I must defeat you if we want to complete it."

Kakashi moved the headband up and opened his scarred left eye, revealing the iris to be crimson red with three tomoes circling the pupil. The kids, especially Sasuke, were shocked at the appearance of the eyeball while the swordsman waited in anticipation for any movement from the masked shinobi.

"So there it is: The _Sharingan_… Let us test if it's really all that praiseworthy!" Zabuza disappears in an instant as everyone but Kakashi looked around for the swordsman. While everyone else was on the lookout for Zabuza, Sasuke couldn't help but think about the _Sharingan _in Kakashi's left eye.

"_I don't understand… The Sharingan's supposed to be an __Ocular Magic (Gan'nai no Mahō)_ _that's only inherited in the Uchiha Clan... My clan… So how does this guy have it in the first place?" _Sasuke thought in his mind while Natsu became impatient with the _Sharingan _revelation and yelled out loud,

"Urgh! It's _Sharingan _this and _Sharingan _that! Could someone explain what the heck does that even mean!?" Sakura looked at the boy with a mixture of annoyance and befuddlement. It was then mist had begun to surround the area, causing the group to increase their guard. Silence had begun to consume the atmosphere as the kids were beginning to feel fear embodied them until Kakashi's voice managed to pierce the silence,

"Daijoubu, I won't let him harm any of you." Kakashi slightly turned around to look at them with reassuring eyes and eye-smiled at them, "After all, it is my duty as a shinobi of Konohagakure that I protect my comrades. That also includes the future generation of wizards that Makarov-sama speaks so proudly of."

The three, especially Sasuke, were surprised to hear those words from someone they had met a few hours ago and were actually encouraged by them. Feeling the tension in their bodies fading away, they adjusted their stances so they could respond instantly to any of Zabuza's anticipated ambushes. But the odd thing was that no matter how hard they tried to keep an eye out for the swordsman, they couldn't hear any movement at all. Noticing this, Natsu decides to sniff the air for Zabuza's scent but all he could get was seawater. Without any hesitation, the masked ninja began to focus his chakra into one major point of his body and unleashed it all at once, breaking through the mist.

But when the mist dispersed, a quiet "swoosh" was heard so Natsu, Sasuke, and Sakura turned around behind them to see Zabuza crouching with his sword in hand right behind them but in front of Tazuna. Fortunately, Kakashi appeared the moment Zabuza was just about to lift his sword to cut down Tazuna. The bridge builder would've been cleaved in half if Kakashi didn't react as quickly as Zabuza. The masked ninja then kicked the swordsman towards the lake and goes after him. The swordsman lands on the large body of water with ease as Kakashi continued to charge towards him. He lunged a kunai into Zabuza's left pectoral but to his surprise, the latter dispersed into water. The real Zabuza then cleaves Kakashi in half, horrifying both Sakura and Natsu greatly while Sasuke was slightly caught off-guard from the scene. But the horrified feeling was set aside when Kakashi also bursted into water and appeared behind Zabuza with a kunai pointed near his jugular.

"It's over now."

"Sugoi! I'm not sure how he did that but that was awesome!" Natsu exclaimed in admiration but then he turned his head towards Sakura and Sasuke, "Eh, what did he do anyway?"

Sakura smacked her forehead in irritation at the boy's naïvety while Sasuke (to an extent again) and Tazuna looked at the boy in shock. Fortunately, they didn't have to explain anything to him as Zabuza begins to laugh in satisfaction,

"Well done, Kakashi." The swordsman complimented despite his current situation, "You really do hold to your title, especially with your usage of the _Sharingan's _ability to copy all sorts of spells and techniques to the smallest of details. You can even mimic the movements and breathing of your opponents with ease. The _Sharingan _really is such a marvelous tool."

"However," Kakashi sensed another presence behind him and just as he turned around to see another Zabuza; the Zabuza in his clutches dissolved into water and ensnared the masked shinobi in a dome of water, shocking the bystanders with the sudden trick,

"You should've pay more attention to my movements more." The masked ninja tried to break out of the watery prison but to avail, it doesn't work. The swordsman turned his attention from the trapped Kakashi to the group of four who were watching the entire commotion,

"Now then. Where were we?" Zabuza creates another _Water Clone (Mizu Bunshin)_ while staying nearby the water dome that is keeping the masked shinobi under wraps. Kakashi is rendered to observing the _Water Clone_ approaching the group of four, making them tense up into battle positions.

"Get Tazuna to safety now! Run away while you still can!"

The three kids heard their leader shout out to them as the _Water Clone_ is getting closer to them. Just as they were about to obey Kakashi's orders, Natsu takes a step forward as he stared at the clone with unwavering eyes,

"You dolt, what are you doing!?" The pink-haired girl exclaimed as she saw the boy slowly walking towards the clone, "We have to obey Kakashi-sensei's orders now! You don't stand the slightest of a chance against him!"

"That fool, what exactly is he doing?" The old bridge builder commented while Sasuke observes the young _Dragon Slayer's _actions in slight curiosity.

Even though he saw what the swordsman was capable of since he was able to trap someone like Kakashi with ease, he remembered his vow earlier and he couldn't go back on it.

"Natsu, don't be a fool! Obey my order and take Tazuna out of he-"

"I DON'T CARE!" The pink haired _Dragon Slayer _cried out with conviction in his voice.

Everyone watched the young boy approach the clone with no hesitation in his movement and there was something that could be read inside his eyes that Zabuza instantly identified it as bravery,

"I don't care if this guy's stronger than I am. I'll admit it; I'm not as strong as I thought I'll be, but I won't be scared now. I won't back down now when there's something that has an advantage against us. Like I said before, I won't back down in the face of the foe in front of us! I'll stay and fight until this guy is beaten to a pulp!"

Natsu charges towards the _Water Clone _with his fists lighted with fire, intriguing an interest from Zabuza,

"Admirable little brat, aren't you? But you're off your league by a few years; especially since your fire will stand no match against my _Water Release (Suiton)._" The real Zabuza said as he senses the clone raising the giant sword above its head. The clone begins to swing the giant sword towards the charging boy who dodges at the last second.

"_Fire Dragon's Iron Fist (Karyū no Tekken)_!" The _Dragon Slayer _throws a right hook with one of his lit fists but the clone instantly blocks the punch with its sword. The clone pushes the boy off as he instantly rebounds and puts out the flames on his fists as he leapt into the air with his right foot lit on fire instead.

"_Fire Dragon's Claw (Karyū no Kagizume)_!"

The clone blocks the descending kick with the giant sword and pushes the boy back as the clone prodded the sword into the ground. It then made multiple hand signs at an extremely fast pace, causing everyone to marvel at the clone's speed.

"What in the- What is that clone doing?!" The pink-haired boy exclaimed in confusion while Sakura realizes what the clone was going,

"That clone… It's making multiple hand signs at a fast pace, it should be impossible to make hand signs at that speed! Which means-"

"_He's going to unleash a spell that requires a large amount of ethernano and chakra…" _Kakashi thought in his mind as he watched the water below the clone begin to swirl around him after a blue magic circle appeared. The water then moves behind the swordsman and emerges from the lake as a giant dragon of water.

"Sugoi, he created an actual dragon- Wait a minute, how in the world can he create a dragon just from water?!" Natsu said in amazement but then turned into a questioning tone right after he watched the magic spell activate.

"It's not a real dragon, you moron. It's a magic spell that just looks like a dragon." Sakura explained in her usual annoyed voice. Natsu didn't turn around to yell back as his attention was more focused on the clone of the Kirikagure ninja as he was still preparing his attack.

"_Water Release: Water Dragon Bullet (Suiton: Suiryūdan)!_"

The body of water began to fly towards the others while Natsu remains where he is and began to inhale oxygen into his lungs. Even though Sakura was yelling at the younger boy to get out of there, Natsu didn't budge from his spot and just focused his attention at the incoming dragon-shaped current. When the water current was at least a few feet in front of Natsu, he reclined his head back and took aim at the water current,

"_Fire Dragon's Roar (Karyū no Hōkō)!_"

A magic circle appeared briefly in front of Natsu's mouth and disappears when the boy spewed out a large amount of flames. The flames collided with the water dragon as the body of water was able to overwhelm Natsu's flames, causing the _Dragon Slayer _to get pushed back. The young boy tried to retain his ground but he kept on getting pushed back even further until he felt like he couldn't hold on any longer. With little strength he had left, Natsu amplified most of his remaining ethernano into his breath attack, breaking through the water dragon and now heading towards the clone. Everyone was mostly filled with shock on how someone of Natsu's caliber was able to break through an elite swordsman's spell. It was fortunate for the clone that it was able to dodge the attack at the last second, leaving some of its left shoulder singed.

Natsu, on the other hand, landed on his bottom from the recoil of his last-ditch amplification. And that was all the Zabuza clone needed as it recovered a few seconds later and ran towards the vulnerable _Dragon Slayer _with its sword in tow.

"Natsu!" Kakashi yelled out as Natsu was feeling too tired to dodge the incoming attack as the clone was closing in on him. Sasuke, unlike Sakura, began to run towards Natsu, intending on getting the dense boy out of his current situation.

The raven-haired boy took out a couple of shurikens from his utility pouch and threw them towards the clone. The clone dodges them with ease but they delayed the clone longed enough for Sasuke to pull Natsu back onto his feet and drag him away. But just as they strode at least two feet away, the clone regained its balance and caught up to them with the giant sword raised above its head.

"SASUKE-KUN!"

Time seemed to slow down for Sasuke and Natsu as they saw the giant sword get closer to cleaving them regardless of how much distance they were putting themselves away with. Even though Sakura wanted to help the both of them (Sasuke more specifically), she knew that she had to protect Tazuna regardless because that was the mission they were assigned to. Just as the sword was just a few inches away, an orange and yellow blur suddenly appeared above the clone and dove towards it, causing the clone to lift the sword at the very last second to block the incoming attack. Unfortunately, since the clone lifted the sword during its trajectory, it caused the clone's defense to be very sloppy and letting the blur stamp the sword right into the ground.

The force of the sword being wedged into the ground made the clone lose its firm stance while it sent Natsu and Sasuke flying from the force of the collision. The sword itself instantly cracked from the attack while the clone was then kneed in the chest by the same blur, causing the clone to exploded into water. The blur was sent back from its attack as mixture of dirt and dust flew all over, concealing the blur's identity from the naked eye. The majority of the occupants were shocked at the events that just happened and were now wondering who in the world was that. Kakashi, however, recognized the chakra and ethernano signature of the blur a few seconds later. Immediately, he couldn't help but think of an old memory in his past replaying in his mind as the clouds of dust and dirt cleared up, revealing Naruto standing right in front Sasuke and Natsu.

"What the- Another kid?!" Tazuna exclaimed in disbelief as he couldn't believe that a single boy was able to actually send a sword two times his size into the ground. Sakura had the same shocked expression on her face as she took in the boy's appearance and thought of another idiotic Natsu in an instant.

Both Natsu and Sasuke were faring the same thoughts in their heads about the new arrival, although Sasuke recollected himself a second later. The latter thought about the sheer force of strength the blonde had used to stamp the sword with while Natsu could only stare in disbelief at another strong person appearing in front of them. The real Zabuza, on the other hand, watched the blond carefully for any incoming movement Naruto was going to make.

"_That boy… That was no ordinary kind of strength you would find in someone so young… The pink-headed one was one thing but this one managed to crack Kubikiribōchō (Decapitating Carving Knife), even though it was just a copy of the original. Just who is this boy?" _

"Oi, Pinky, Slick-head." Naruto called out to Natsu and Sasuke, "Are the two of you guys okay?" Just as Naruto turned around to check on the two, he was then face-to-face with an irritated Natsu,

"Teme! My name's not Pinky, it's Natsu! Get it through your skull, Whiskers!" Naruto felt his left eye twitched while Sasuke, Tazuna, and Sakura gaped at the boy's attention span in the middle of a fight.

"My name's Naruto, not 'Whiskers'! Ttaku, you're just as worse as this guy that I know…" The whiskered blond exclaimed out loud, causing Sakura and Tazuna to sweatdrop at the comment,

"_Just as I thought, this guy's another Natsu but our age…." _

Sasuke quietly observes the new arrival and had the same thoughts as Sakura but unlike the pink-haired mage, he sensed something in the boy that was unusual to him. He knew that someone like him shouldn't be able to break a giant sword that easily even if he had some help from the drop down. That was when that Sasuke noticed that the blonde's leg was radiating some kind of orange-yellow glow at the time. Which means that the boy had some kind of magic that amplified his strength to an abnormal level for a regular human.

Naruto noticed the other boy staring at him with an observant eye and so the whiskered blond stared right back. Even though he wasn't perfect with sensory quite yet, but something in his mind told the blond that the raven-haired boy was someone he shouldn't mess with yet. He ignored the thought for now and turned back around to see Kakashi trapped in a dome of water with a "mummy-like" swordsman standing next to the dome,

"Ka-Kakashi! Is that you!? What in the world are you doing in there?!" The blonde exclaimed while Zabuza quietly observed the boy for a little longer before creating another _Water Clone._

"Get rid of him."

The water clone nodded as it began to run towards the three boys. They saw the clone heading towards them as Naruto stepped up in front of Natsu and Sasuke, bringing suspicion from the others on what he was going to do. The blond focused his chakra and ethernano into his forearms, causing them to glow a mixture of orange-red and yellow. This brought even more attention to Naruto as he lunged towards the clone who just raised its own _Kubikiribōchō _above its head.

Naruto managed to dodge the incoming strike as he slides to the clone's left, fists poised to strike at any given moment. Without any hesitation, the blonde struck at the _Water Clone_ who managed to lift its giant sword to block every single blow Naruto dealt. But it did came at a price as Naruto with his multiple strikes managed to crack the cleaver into two and prepared to strike the clone once more,

"Ggyahh!" Naruto cried out as he managed to punch the clone in the gut, making it dispersed just like the last clone. Wasting no time, the blond began to run towards the real Zabuza who was astonished at how fast his clone was dispatched. The swordsman regained his composure and amplified some of his magic into the water beneath him, causing it to stir towards the charging blonde.

Sasuke, realizing what was about to occur, ran after the blonde and in the nick of time, pulled him away from the water that was going to wash him whole. As the two of them were still airbound, the water began emerge from the lake, following Zabuza's command to swallow them whole. Naruto refocused his ethernano and chakra into his arms and repositioned himself in Sasuke's grip as he managed to grab the stream of raging water as if it was a physical object itself. This made not only Zabuza even more curious about the blond's power, but also Sasuke and the spectators as they couldn't believe that Naruto was able to pull off such a deed.

"_This is... impossible…_" The bandaged swordsman mentally shouted out in his head while Sakura and the others had similar thoughts going on in their heads too,

"_It's legitimately impossible to actually grab water like some kind of object. Sure we can hold it in our palms for a while before it sinks out of our hands. But this guy is actually gripping that stream of water like it has physical mass inside of it. What exactly is this power?_" Sakura thought in her head as she was trying to rationalize the logic of Naruto's strange power-up.

"Say, Slick-Head." Sasuke turned his head towards the blond as they landed on the ground again, the latter still having a grip on the current of water, "Do you think we can create a good diversion to get Kakashi out of there?"

Natsu and Sakura overheard the blonde's words and the latter was about to ask how was Naruto going to break Kakashi out when Sasuke slightly nodded to the blonde's question,

"Yosh, ikōzo!" Naruto tighten his grip on the water stream, causing it to disperse and giving Sasuke the cue to charge towards Zabuza. Naruto provided back-up as he made the usual hand sign and created several _Shadow Clones (Kage Bunshin)_ at his disposal.

"Well, what do you know? This boy has a lot of tricks up to his sleeves, doesn't he?" Zabuza commented as he grabbed the _Kubikiribōchō _from its hoist in anticipation of the charging fleet. As they got closer, Zabuza created another stream of water with his magic and depleted the fleet of its forces by half. The remaining clones kept on charging forward while Sasuke had blended in the crowd as the swordsman continued to wipe out the forces with several water spouts. When the army got decimated to only three clones, Sasuke took out a Fūma Shuriken and threw it towards Zabuza while the clones are following the shuriken's path like a magnet.

"If this is all that you got planned, then you need to stimulate your brain a bit more if you plan to outsmart ME!" The Kirikagure shinobi stated as he made a single hand sign with his left hand, causing water tentacles to whip the shuriken out of the way.

The clones jumped out of the way along with Sasuke as they too focused ethernano and chakra into their fists. Remembering what had occurred when the original did that, Zabuza used his magic to manipulate the water in various ways to disrupt the clones' approach. The clones kept on dodging every single one until Zabuza made the water take the shape of dragon heads and managed to engulf them inside the jaws, making them poof out of existence. Now it was just Sasuke charging at the swordsman alone until he realized one crucial thing: Where was the original Naruto? Figuring out what was going it, he turned around to his left and narrowly dodged an incoming fist from the original Naruto. But this was all a part of the whiskered blonde's plan as by disrupting Zabuza's concentration, he broke Kakashi out of his watery prison, allowing the masked shinobi to join in the fight once more.

"Damn gaki…" Zabuza cursed as he was forced to block an incoming blow from Kakashi.

"Sugoi, the whiskered guy's a lot smarter than he looks, right Sakura?" Natsu asked the pink-haired girl after marvelling over what just occurred,

"I guess… But honestly that must've been just luck for him. After all, it could've been Sasuke-kun who made the actual plan!" Sakura said in a love-dazed voice, startling Natsu and Tazuna to an extent from her expressiveness of her infatuation.

"The whiskered brat's really is something… To think that he was able to pull such a stunt with one of your own." Zabuza commented on the blonde's versatility to which Kakashi unknowingly smiled underneath his face mask,

"Well I only know the kid for a few hours but I've seen what he's capable of from the aftermath of his battle." Kakashi replied back to the Kirikagure shinobi, pushing the latter back with a forced shove.

Just as Zabuza was about to initiate the _Water Dragon Bullet_ spell again, he allowed Kakashi to copy his exact movements and used the same technique. The two water dragons collided with other, dispersing into multiple droplets of water right as Zabuza was about to follow up with another spell until,

"_Water Release: Great Waterfall (Suiton: Daibakufu)!_"

Kakashi had copied the spell what Zabuza was about to do as multiple spouts of water had erupted from the lake as they streamed towards the swordsman in the form of a giant waterfall. Zabuza barely endured the attack as the wave had crashed above him and caused one part of the lake to be waterless for a short while.

"Whoa…." Naruto gaped in amazement of the masked shinobi's feat as the latter began to run towards the weaken Zabuza. With a kunai in hand, Kakashi was just about a few feet away from Zabuza as he then raised the kunai above his head to stab Zabuza with. That was until, just as Zabuza was getting back up, something pricked his neck, shocking the others on what just happened. Zabuza fell right on his stomach while Kakashi walked towards the body and realized that Zabuza was "killed".

"What in the- What just happened?! The guy suddenly fell onto his face like he's dead!" Natsu exclaimed as the others continued to observe the body until Kakashi only heard silence from the boy, but something seems off about the incident. Sensing a presence nearby, the masked ninja looks upward to see another masked individual but judging from his attire, he's associated with Kirikagure.

"_A Kirikagure ANBU…. What are they doing here? And what is their objective for coming here?_" Kakashi narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he kept his eyes on the young man in front of them,

"Who are you?"

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**It has been an extremely long while but I finally managed to get this chapter finished for you guys. There may be some mistakes that I might've overlooked but I'm sure that everything is still understandable for you guys to read. Other than that, I hope that you guys can understand the lateness of this chapter and I'll try to write the next chapter while I work on my final projects for my classes. Also, this chapter essentially starts the final arc for Part 1 and then we enter Part 2 of the story. After that, Fairy Tail/Shippūden canon officially starts in Part 3 which I believe starts around Chapters 20-30 according to my notes. Before I sign out, the character that was introduced in the end of the last chapter; I don't want to spoil too much but all that I can say is that I have very important plans for him especially since he has a connection to a certain incident. **

**Thanks for reading and please leave a review.**


	12. Silence on Two Fronts

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 11: Silence on Two Fronts

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Naruto. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima while Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Note: This chapter was actually meant to be uploaded on May but unfortunately as you guys can see, it got postponed. Reasons why... Well, it's nothing personally but I basically had several days throughout the month where I could write and days where I felt uninspired to write. So because of that, this chapter will probably be kind of slow and dull in story progression for some of you. So once again, I apologize and enjoy the story!**

* * *

_September X777, _

"I'll repeat myself once more; who are you?" Kakashi narrowed his eyes in suspicion while Naruto and the others observe the commotion.

A dreadful and tense silence was held for a few seconds as Kakashi kept his eyes on the masked ANBU. The ANBU's attire consists of an olive-green striped shirt and pants underneath a green haori. He also had a brown sash tied around his waist twice and he had his fingernails and toenails painted blue-green. In addition, he had his hair tied in a bun style with a white cloth. Lastly, the ANBU was obviously wearing a white mask; which had thin curved eyeholes, the sigil for Kirigakure on the forehead, and red swirls at the bottom half.

"Wh-who is that? And what did he just do to the mummy man!?" The others slightly sweatdropped at Natsu's questions who was gawking at what was going on. After a few minute has finally passed, the masked ANBU bowed slightly, surprising everyone but Kakashi.

"Thank you very much. I've been searching for Zabuza for a long time so that I could kill him for my superiors."

"To kill?! Why did you have to kill him?! You could've taken the guy alive!" Natsu exclaimed in anger while Sakura silently agreed with the _Dragon Slayer._ Naruto watched the commotion commence as he remembered something that Kurama told him about other humans. No matter how much there were humans who were peaceful, there were those who thrived to kill without any remorse. After witnessing what was going on at this point, Naruto categorized the masked ANBU to be in the latter category.

"I apologize if my duty offends you, young one, in any way. But I'm afraid that killing is a part of my job as a Kirigakure Hunter-nin."

"_Judging from his voice and height, he seems to be not that much older than Naruto or Natsu. But why is someone like him a Hunter-nin?"_

"Hunter-nin? What does he mean by that, Kakashi?" Sakura asked the silver-haired shinobi who was still keeping an eye on the masked ANBU.

"They're a branch of ANBU shinobi who are tasked by the leaders of the ninja villages to track down Missing-Nin: Rogue Ninja." The other tweens listened intently to Kakashi's words carefully, "Missing-Nin are essentially just as bad as Dark Mages in terms of illegal conduct but some Missing-nin are far worse than your average Dark Mage. That's where Hunter-nin comes in; they don't just capture the Missing-nin alive, there are some missions that they accept that has them kill the target if it's required."

Natsu felt his anger boiling inside while Naruto watched the Hunter-nin leap from the tree branch to Zabuza's body. It was a bit puzzling at first but the whiskered blond then noticed that there was some ethernano flowing inside the unconscious body. Naruto takes a step forward as the Hunter-nin picks up Zabuza's body,

"The battle's over and now I must dispose of the body. It might have some secret that may be crucial to my village. Farewell." The Hunter-nin lifts his right hand and holds it in the air with the thumb facing his face. Just as Naruto began walking towards the two, the Hunter-nin and Zabuza's body disappears in a swirl of wind and leaves.

Kakashi places his headband over his left eye as he notices Natsu running up to Naruto. Sakura and Sasuke watched the two interact from afar with Sakura showing a slight interest at the blonde.

"Hey Whiskers, how in the world did you grab that stream of water like that? That should be impossible considering…." The pink-haired _Dragon Slayer _might've asked stupid questions the majority of the time. But these questions were ones that actually needed an answer to.

After all, no ordinary wizard or stupid-looking kid could do the impossible and actually grabbed water like a simple ball. It was incomprehensible to everyone in the area but Kakashi. Regardless, Tazuna approaches the group and laughs out in joice,

"It doesn't really matter how he did in the end. He, along with you guys, saved each others' and my life. I owe you that much." Naruto raised an eyebrow at the bridge builder's gratitude but eventually he lets his signature smile appear on his face soon after.

"In any case, we have to escort Tazuna-san back to his home. So shall we get moving?" The masked shinobi asked the group as he turned around to begin walking.

"Yeah, let's go!" Natsu raced off ahead of the group while Sasuke, Sakura, and Tazuna slowly followed behind Kakashi. The masked ninja stopped walking, making the others stop as well, and turns to Naruto who was looking around the area until he felt Kakashi's gaze staring at him.

"We appreciate the help you gave earlier, Naruto. Now if I'm not mistaken, didn't you have friends that you were accompanying back in Suisen?"

"Suisen?" Sakura asked in curiosity and turns to the whiskered blonde. Naruto was just about to answer Kakashi's question when a rustle was heard in the bushes to their left. A few seconds later, Jellal comes running out of the bushes, much to Sakura's and Tazuna's surprise. Wendy and Sayla arrive at the same spot right after Jellal stops to take a breather.

"What the- More kids?! Did you guys just happen to be nearby or did you all just follow us here?" Sakura asked the new arrivals in her usual tone. Sasuke observed the group with disinterest while Tazuna gaped at the amount of kids that just arrived.

"Geez Naruto, you could've given us a little warning you know. The rest of us can't go running off when they sensed something like you can." Jellal scolded Naruto after the former had caught his breath. The whiskered blond could only chuckle at his friend's dispense and scratch his head awkwardly.

"Gomen, gomen. I was in the hurry. I mean, if I didn't rush off, one of their friends would've ended up in worse shape, dattebayo…" Sakura and Sasuke sweatdropped at Naruto's verbal tic (the latter slightly sweatdropped). But for Sakura, she instantly recovered when Wendy spoke to Naruto,

"But still, Naruto-san. You shouldn't do such a thing though…. It'll make us all worry for your well-being…"

Sayla watched the two blue-heads scold Naruto for his reckless behavior and then looked at the whiskered blonde. He was smiling throughout the worry Wendy and Jellal have shown in their voices. But deep inside, Naruto was starting to feel guilty for making his friends worry about him like that. Just as the she-demon approached the blonde, a thud was heard a few feet away from everyone else. Naruto and everyone else turned their heads to the left and they see Kakashi lying face-flat on the ground,

"Ka-Kakashi! What happened to you?!" Naruto exclaimed as the others excluding Sasuke and Sayla stared at the masked man in shock. Wendy somewhat recovers and was about to run over to Kakashi until Jellal took ahold of her wrist. The little girl turned to face the older boy who just shook his head to disapprove her intended actions. All the while, Kakashi couldn't even get back up after what just happened.

"_My body_… _It won't move… I used the Sharingan for too long…_" The masked shinobi thought in pain as Tazuna ran up to him and lifted the masked ninja's arm over his shoulders to walk Kakashi back to his home. Natsu caught onto the fact that no one was following him and so when he turned around, he saw Kakashi being carried by the bridge builder.

"W-wh-what in the- Oi Masked guy! Why are you lying on the ground like that?!"

* * *

"Are you going to be okay now, Kakashi-san?" Tazuna's daughter, Tsunami, asked the bedridden Kakashi.

"I'll be okay. Thank you for your concern." The masked shinobi replied back while everyone else was doing their own shenanigans.

Sakura and Wendy were the only ones who stood by Kakashi's bedside just in case the older man needed something. Tazuna and Natsu laid on their back with the latter fast asleep while Sasuke was sitting next to them, nonchalant with what was going on in the room. Sayla, however, was watching Naruto kicking his bare feet in the air while Jellal sat next to the blond, listening to the conversation behind them.

"Although I'm afraid that I won't be able to move for a week or so…." Kakashi added in a tired manner.

"Really Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked the tired shinobi who didn't replied back as the pink-haired female continued talking, "The _Sharingan _really is something but if it puts that much stress on the body, then you really have to think before you use it."

"Umm, Kakashi-san." The masked ninja turned his attention to Wendy who was fidgeting in her spot shyly as always, "If you want, I can heal some of your fatigue away… So you will be able to recover faster…"

Everyone in the room; excluding Naruto, Natsu (who was still sleeping), Jellal, and Sayla, stared at the young girl in disbelief, making Wendy even more uncomfortable with the attention she was getting. Even Sasuke had "some" interest on how a little girl such as herself could know something like _Healing Magic (Chiyū no Mahō)_.

"I appreciate your offer, Wendy, but if you did heal me, then you would made yourself even more exhausted than me right now. So save your strength for someone who desperately needs it, okay?" Kakashi kindly offers the young girl who could only hesitantly nod her head in response.

"Well either way, you guys have defeated that strong ninja for sure! We should be safe for quite a while!" Tazuna said in an attempt to soothe the atmosphere. It seemed to work for bit but it didn't help tone down Sakura's curiosity on the four kids.

After hearing Wendy's proposal, Sakura was starting to become curious on who their four newly-acquaintances were. They all seem to know Kakashi and vice versa, but the pink-haired girl wasn't satisfied quite yet. For starters, despite her cute appearance, there was something about the little girl that clearly states that her magic seems to be very potent that if Kakashi stated not to use it recklessly, then it must've been some powerful magic. Jellal and the older girl didn't bring much attention to Sakura as they seem to be the introverted kind of kids. Especially since Sakura was still trying to figure out why the older girl had that long cloth wrapped around her head. The pink-haired girl didn't know if the other girl had fashion sense or not but that cloth was not fashionable; it was just making her head a lot bigger than it was supposed to be.

Then there was the whiskered blond that helped Natsu, Sasuke, and Kakashi. At first, she thought the blond was just an older version of Natsu. But as she observed his actions, Sakura saw just how much fighting experience the whiskered blonde had. It was almost as if he had the knowledge of a fifteen to sixteen year old wizard but stuck in the body of a short twelve year old. His magic, in particular, had Sakura even more curious as to who the blond really is. It felt strange and peculiar when she tried to sense what kind of magic it was. She was very surprised by the vast amount of power it was dwelling inside Naruto. It was almost as if it was somehow alive which was unusual for magic to be alive.

As much as she would like to ask the four for their identities, there was still the mission to consider. So Sakura turns her attention back to Kakashi who remains idle on the futon.

"Ano Kakashi-sensei. Was that kid really a Hunter-nin? I mean, he seems a little young to have such a job, wouldn't he?"

The masked shinobi looks at the ceiling in thought while the other tweens turned their attention towards Kakashi. A few seconds later, Kakashi answers Sakura's question,

"For a position as a Hunter-nin, he does seem young. But he could've just been a rookie though since he took away Zabuza's body. After all, it's just another part of their job as Hunter-nin to not only capture rogue ninja. But they're also assigned to erase or destroy the body at all cost."

"Destroy!? But why?!" Natsu exclaimed in anger while the other tweens took the words in calmly. Although, Naruto was struggling with controlling his anger since this was the first time he ever heard of people destroying corpses for some unknown reason. Fortunately, Kakashi apparently sensed this and began to go into further detail,

"For the other ninja villages, their resident ninja are essential to their village's hidden secrets. Should another ninja from another village find the corpse, they can retrieve the body and use it to gather intel on the other village. That is why the Hunter-nin are assigned to the tasks they carry."

"So that the village can protect its secrets from outsiders..." Jellal finished after hearing Kakashi's explanation. The others remained silent after hearing the rest of the explanation. After all, some of them were now thinking on how the masked ANBU was going to dispose of Zabuza's body at this very moment.

* * *

In another part of a forest, the masked ANBU lies the body of Zabuza down on the ground. He wedged the _Kubikiribōchō (Decapitating Carving Knife) _into the ground near the body. The masked ANBU then takes out a small pouch filled with surgery utensils and pulls out a small pair of scissors.

"I'll cut the mouth cloth, then I'll drain some blood and-" The young ANBU said to himself as he leaned the scissors closer to Zabuza's bandages. Just as he was about to cut off the cloth, Zabuza suddenly wakes up and grabs the ANBU's arm.

"I'm alright, I'll do everything by myself…" The revived Zabuza said as he pulls the mouth cloth off.

"Oh… You're already awake I see…" The ANBU commented as Zabuza roughly pulled the senbons out of his neck, "You shouldn't be so rough, if you pull them out like that, you'll really die this time."

"Damn… You're just as rough as I taught you to be…" The swordsman complained as he rubbed the spot where the senbons were impaled in, "And how long are you going to keep wearing that mask?"

The ANBU kept silent as he lifts his hand over the mask and slowly takes it off. He eventually puts down the mask on his lap as the boy's face is revealed to Zabuza. He had a forehead protector that was just like Zabuza's and his overall facial appearance is actually quite feminine.

"It reminds me of the old days, plus it was useful for the act so I could get you out without being killed." The feminine boy said while Zabuza continued to rub the spot where the senbons pierced his neck.

"If you were really going to put me into momentary death, you could've aimed for a safer acupuncture point instead of the ones in the neck. Taku, you're annoying as always..."

"You may be right…." The boy said with a smile, "But for the record, the acupuncture point in the neck is a lot easier to hit since the muscles there are weaker. But with that being said and done, you won't be able to move for at least a week but you'll recover soon either way…"

"Pure and clever… I knew that you would be a useful asset to me." Zabuza complimented as the mist surrounding the forest begins to clear up.

"Next time, will you be alright taking on Kakashi Hatake once more?" The feminine boy asked curiously as Zabuza manages to sit up and stares into the direction where the village is,

"I'll be fine. And when that time comes, I'll be ready to counter the _Sharingan_."

* * *

A sudden feeling of foreshadowing flows through Kakashi's body as he wakes up, starling Sakura and Naruto. As a result, Sakura slided a few inches away while Naruto fell straight onto his back. Wendy turned around to the commotion while Sasuke stares at the entire thing with bored eyes.

"Oh, you're awake, Kakashi-san." Tsunami said as she entered back into the room. Naruto was catching his breath after being scared like that while Natsu was trying his best not to crack up at the blonde's actions.

"_What was that just now?_" Kakashi thought in his head, "_Zabuza should be dead now but… why do I feel like there's something amiss in all of this_?"

"Are you alright, Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked their mission leader in concern. Naruto crawled back to Jellal and Sayla while mumbling something about being so close to see Kakashi's face. Kakashi places his hand onto his headband in a thinking manner before looking towards the younger kids,

"I'm okay, but you see, when Hunter-nin kill their targets, they usually dispose of the body right in the exact spot the body died. So why didn't the masked ANBU do it back then?"

"Well… Maybe he wanted to dispose of the body in a way that wouldn't horrify anyone in the vicinity?" Jellal suggested since he wasn't there when it happened.

"No, because if he really was after Zabuza's head, he would've cut off the head to take back to Kirigakure. Not to mention, the weapons he used on Zabuza aren't exactly the kind Hunter-nin typically use to kill Missing-nin with."

While the others looked at the masked shinobi in confusion, his words were starting to connect in Sasuke's mind. If his memory served him right, the masked ANBU had pierced Zabuza's neck with senbon needles. Senbons are traditionally used to tweak acupuncture points on mostly humans; in terms of combat though, they're not exactly killing weapons.

"Hold on, you're not saying-" Naruto and the other kids looked at Sasuke who had an expression of shock as he stared at Kakashi. The others turned to Kakashi who looked like he was still in thought,

"What are you guys talking about?" Tazuna spoke out as Kakashi snaps out of his trance and stares at the ceiling eerily,

"It's a possibility but most likely... Zabuza is still alive somewhere out there."

Natsu, Sakura, and Tazuna stared at the masked shinobi flabbergasted at the latter's suggestion. Wendy grabbed onto Jellal frighteningly while Tsunami raised an eyebrow at the current situation.

"W-what are you talking about, Kakashi-sensei/Masked Guy?!" Sakura and Natsu shouted out loud in disbelief as Sakura crawls up a bit closer to Kakashi, "Kakashi-sensei, you checked his pulse earlier and said that he was dead! How can you say that he's still alive?!"

"Yes I did say that. But like I just said before, the weapons the ANBU had used aren't the usual weapons that Hunter-Nin use to kill their targets. In addition, senbon needles have a really low kill ratio unless it hits a vital organ. Following this alone, I've come to an assumption that the masked ANBU really wasn't after Zabuza's head at all. No, his true motive was probably to save Zabuza."

"To save him? Are you sure that you're not thinking too much into the situation?" The bridge builder asked after recovering from his state of shock.

"No, Kakashi might have be right about all of this." Everyone turned to the whiskered blond as he had been silent this entire time along with Sayla and Sasuke. Sakura thought at first that he would freak out just like the rest of them upon hearing Zabuza's apparent status. But looking closer at his expression, he clearly had the same thoughts as Kakashi somehow.

"I mean, it may seem odd for all of you to hear this but… Even though Kakashi had said he was dead at first, I started to sense a bit of ethernano beginning to recharge inside Zabuza. It was just a small bit but right around when the other masked guy took Zabuza away, the ethernano was starting to pick up in charging speed."

"No way… That should be impossible though, after all, ethernano stops charging-"

"When a body just becomes dead." Kakashi interrupts Sakura right before she goes onto a rant, "But should a body be put on momentary death however, ethernano can still recharge due to it being connected to a person's soul. The body might've stop functioning but a person's soul can still be active depending on the person's willpower."

"On that note, we should still be cautious either way. Who knows if Gato has hired stronger shinobi or mercenaries… We have been on our guard." Kakashi looks around the room to see everyone taking in the news rather calmly. But when he turned to Natsu though, he saw that the boy was smiling and yet he was trembling at the same time.

"Kakashi-sensei, how exactly do we prepare ourselves for the next group though. You can barely move after all…" Sakura pointed out while Kakashi looks at his and Naruto's groups with a neutral expression,

"The rest of you will be training in the meantime."

The atmosphere became silence once more as the tween stare at the masked for a few seconds. Before both Natsu and Sakura shout out in surprise at Kakashi (although for entirely different reasons),

"You really mean we'll be training?! But what happens if the mummy man comes back again?!" Natsu shouted in confusion while Kakashi remained calm despite the young _Dragon Slayer's_ outburst,

"You don't have to worry about that, Natsu. Someone who has been put into near-death will be rendered immobilized for quite some time. We'll have enough time to train until then."

"Even if we do train, Kakashi-sensei, we still won't be able to catch up to Zabuza's level. After all, you struggled against him as well. So how will we be able to fight against him?!" Sakura cried out while Kakashi surprisingly eye-smiles at the pink-haired girl.

"Daijoubou, Sakura. We'll be fine. After all, despite me being trapped for the majority of the fight, you guys were able to hold Zabuza off for quite some time." Kakashi turns his attention to Naruto as Sakura, Natsu, and Sasuke then turn their gazes towards the blonde as well,

"In addition, we have Naruto to thank for helping us back then. So with that in mind, can we trust you and your friends to help us for the time being with our mission?"

Naruto turned his gaze towards Jellal and silently asked him if it was alright. Jellal seemed hesitant at first but once he looked at Wendy and Naruto, he couldn't refuse the offer and thus nodded in agreement. Naruto then looks at Sayla who was silently watching everything commencing right in front of her. When she felt the blonde's gaze on her, she looked at him and read the question he wanted to ask her through his eyes. Eventually, she slightly nodded as Naruto turned to Kakashi and his group with his signature grin on his face,

"We might not know about everything quite yet. But either way, you guys can definitely count on us to help you with your task, dattebayo!"

The group was grateful that they were going to have extra help in protecting Tazuna. But Sakura and Sasuke (to an extent) still sweat-dropped at Naruto's verbal tic. Satisfied with the answer, Kakashi lied back down on the futon while Natsu ran up to Naruto in his usual excited manner,

"Hey Whiskers! Since you'll be helping us out, then how about we train now? It'll be fun!" Naruto felt his left eye twitch at the name Natsu gave him. He became even more irritated when he heard Jellal slightly snicker beside him. Just when he was about to answer the pink-haired mage, the front door opened and a younger boy walked in the house.

"That doesn't exactly sound fun at all…" The boy said as he took off his sandals, catching the attention of everyone else in the room,

"Oi, who exactly are you?!" Natsu shouted out loud while the other kids stare at the boy curiously. The boy had a striped blue hat over his head as his attire consist of a yellow shirt and a green jumpsuit. Upon closer inspection, the boy really looked serious and quiet in the eyes of the "outsiders", except for Natsu of course.

"Oh Inari! Where have you been off to?" Tazuna said excitedly as he got up from his spot on the upper floor.

"Welcome back, Grandpa…" Inari quietly said as he took off his sandals and climbed on top of the upper floor. He walks up to Tazuna who sat back down and hugs him. The bridge-builder then affectionately scuffles the boy's head while Tsunami approaches the two,

"Inari, say hello to these people. They're wizards who volunteered to protect Grandpa."

Inari stares at the group for a few seconds with an uninterested look on his face. He turns to his mother and points both groups with a stoic face,

"Mom… those people are going to die."

"Teme! What did you just say?!" Sakura stared at Natsu in shock at his outburst. Sasuke looks uninterested while Naruto, Jellal, and Sayla stare at Inari in silence. Wendy observes the commotion from Kakashi's bedside worryingly as she fiddles with her fingers anxiously,

"There's no way you guys can win against someone like Gato…." Tazuna looks at his grandson with concern while Kakashi observed this from his futon. Natsu began to walk towards Inari in anger which caused Sakura to restrain the _Dragon Slayer_,

"Let me go! Let me go! I gotta teach him a less-"

"You idiot! There's no precise reason you should get pissed at a child! He's just stating what he believes in. So don't get pissed for no exact reason whatsoever!" Sakura scolded the energetic wizard who continued to struggle in Sakura's grasps. That was until Naruto spoke up.

"Hey Inari." The younger boy turned his gaze towards Naruto who had a smile on his face, shocking the others except for Kakashi, Jellal, Wendy, and Sayla, "Is that really what you believe? Because I faced monsters who were ten times my size with no problem. So believe me when I say that beating up Gato and his cronies won't be a problem."

Inari looked down at the ground, the brim of his hat covering his eyes while everyone watched for the boy's next actions. Eventually, he looked back at Naruto with the same stoic look on his face,

"Are you really that stupid? Why are you trying to act like you're some kind of hero? Because in this world, there are no heroes! They just simply died the second they just show up!"

"Why I outta-" Natsu shouted and was about to get out of Sakura's grip,

"Will you knock it off?! You can't just get angry at a child, you idiot-"

"If either of you don't want to die, you should leave now…" Inari said before heading towards the pair of shogi doors in the back.

"Inari, where are you going?" Tazuna asked his grandson in concern. Inari turns around and looks at his grandfather stoically,

"To look at the ocean from my room." Inari replied before going through the doors and shutting them afterwards. Tazuna lets out a sigh before turning his attention to the others,

"I'm sorry about Inari's behavior. Things haven't been quite the same for a while now…"

Natsu finally wrenched himself out of Sakura's grip while everyone else stares at the shogi doors Inari went through. Naruto stood up and walks towards the shōgi doors, opening them in the process,

"N-Naruto-san! Where are you going?!" Wendy asked the older boy in shock. Everyone watched the blond slowly walking through the doors and entering the inner parts of the house. Before he closed the doors behind him, Naruto turns to look at his group and they saw that he had the serious gaze that he usually has when something's amiss.

"I'm just going to speak with Inari. I'll be right back." Naruto replied as he closed the shogi doors, leaving mostly Sakura and Natsu baffled at his behavior.

"You guys aren't going to stop him?" Sakura asked Jellal and Sayla upon turning towards them, "He might've helped us but I can tell that he'll cause more grief for the poor kid-"

"Daijoubou, Sakura-san. His actions may seem reckless but we know for a fact that he's just helping in his own way." The aforementioned girl stared at the tattooed boy in shock. She recovers a second later and stares at the shogi doors with everyone else.

Meanwhile, Naruto climbed up the staircase and begins to explore the upper level of the house. He comes across a random pair of doors and was about to open them when he heard something. He placed his ear on the door and heard sniffling behind the doors.

The blonde quietly opened the door to the room and was shocked by what was occurring in the room. Naruto saw Inari kneeling on top of a desk with the windows opened to see the vast ocean below. As Naruto watched the boy's shoulders rise up and down endlessly, he knew that Inari was crying. Naruto spotted something in Inari's hands but he couldn't see what the boy was holding. But the blonde knew that it was something precious to him.

*sniffing* "Dad…"

The blonde quietly closed the doors and walked away from the room with his head looking at the floor sympathetically. He walked down the stairs where he sees Sayla waiting at the bottom of the staircase.

"Sayla? Shouldn't you be with everyone else?" The blonde snapped out of his funk while the she-demon stared at Naruto in silence. Fortunately for Naruto, the silence wasn't going to last long like when they first met,

"You took his outburst rather well. Knowing you, you would've gotten angry just like when we first met." Naruto stared at the she-demon with an indignant look on his face, "So why didn't you?"

Naruto crossed his arms while looking up at the ceiling in a questioning manner. The she-demon kept her eyes on the pondering blonde who kept his gaze at the ceiling until,

"Well… If I have to say what my reason for remaining my cool was probably because, well, it was probably the look Inari had in his eyes." Naruto still kept his gaze on the ceiling but he knew Sayla is still staring at him, "I'm not sure why he acts the way he does now but the answer is still the same, even now…"

Naruto then stared at the ground in thought while Sayla kept her eyes on the whiskered blonde. He might've not said it out loud but the she-demon knew what he was trying to imply. Sayla slightly nodded her head in accordance to Naruto's answer. She turned back around and looks at the blonde, silently asking if he's coming back to the living room. Naruto grinned for a second before walking past Sayla and towards the living room with the she-demon following him shortly after.

* * *

"Alright then," Kakashi began to speak while standing on crutches, "Today, we will now begin the training session."

"Yosh! I'm all fired up now!" Natsu exclaimed energetically while Sakura and Sasuke watch the pink-haired _Dragon Slayer_ boringly. Sitting on a log nearby, Naruto, Jellal, Wendy, and Sayla observe the others begin their training. Naruto had his head resting on his left palm while Wendy swinged her legs back and forth in anticipation.

"Ok, but before we get into that," Natsu turned to the masked shinobi confusingly, "I want to make sure that all three of you know about both Ethernano and Chakra first."

"E-ther-nano? Cha-kura? What the heck are those?" Natsu tilted his head in confusion while everyone but Naruto, Wendy, and Sayla stare at the scarf-wearing boy in shock. In fact, Naruto was grinning at Natsu's confusion as he remembered how he had the same problem too when he was with Kurama.

"For crying out loud, we all know you aren't the brightest person but c'mon! I can understand about you not knowing what Chakra is! But to not know what _Ethernano_ is, how are you even a wizard when you don't even know that!" The pink-haired female yelled out at Natsu who covered his ears at her loud lecture. Everyone else was staring at the _Dragon Slayer _indifferently for several different reasons.

"Well… Igneel might've mentioned something about Ethernano but he had never talked about Chakra though…" Upon hearing the name 'Igneel', Wendy started to pay close attention to the conversation while Kakashi let out a tired sigh upon hearing Natsu's reason,

"_Well… at least he's not lost on the subject to an extent…_" The masked shinobi mentally thought with a mixture of relief and exhaustion,

"Very well then. Sakura, if you could explain since you seem to know the subject well." Kakashi said with a gesture of his hand for the pink-haired girl to begin explaining. Sakura walks up to Natsu and takes out a small scroll and begins to unravel it.

"Alright Natsu, you better listen up with that brain of yours. Because I'm not going to be explaining this to you twice!" Sakura opens the scroll and reveals the content inside to Natsu.

"Poor guy, it looks like he's about to fall over with that much processing he has to do..." Naruto snickered at Natsu's predicament while Wendy was still observing the pink-haired _Dragon Slayer_. Jellal noticed Wendy's state of mind and slightly shook the young girl out of her little trance,

"Are you alright, Wendy? You've been staring at Natsu for quite some time." The older blue-haired boy asked Wendy who turned her gaze towards Jellal.

"I'm.. I'm okay, Jellal. It was just… how Natsu-san mentioned someone named Igneel…" Wendy said to reassure Jellal who somewhat accepted the answer. He was about to ask the girl something else but Naruto beat him to it,

"You think that Igneel could be the name for a dragon, don't you?" The two blue-heads stare at the blonde in surprise at his sudden question even though he was paying more attention to the commotion in front of them,

"Mmph… I-um... Yes, I think so..." Wendy hesitantly replied a few seconds later after recovering from her state of shock.

"Well… I can't quite differentiate magical power or chakra in depth yet but I can definitely feel some similarities between his and your magic, Wendy."

"Really Naruto-san?!" The younger girl stared at the blond in amazement while he smiled at Wendy's praise for his ability. Jellal and Sayla stared at Naruto curiously upon hearing what the blonde could do. But when Jellal was about ask Naruto something, he was once again interrupted by Sakura wrapping up her explanation for Natsu.

"So do you got that wrapped up in your head now?"

"I guess… But what's really the difference between the two?" Sakura's left eye slightly twitched at Natsu's question, signalling to her that he still doesn't understand, "I mean, in a nutshell, Ethernano and Chakra are both forms of energy that some people can store up inside at once."

"Well, you're partially right, Natsu…" Kakashi stepped in when he sees that Natsu still doesn't understand, "But you see Natsu, even though both Ethernano and Chakra are two forms of energy; only a certain number of people are able to awaken their Chakra and use it in their branch of magic. The reason why is because not everyone is aware that Chakra exists. The energy is a part of your very own lifespan and it requires a lot of mental and spiritual energy to call it forth. In addition, unlike Ethernano, Chakra is almost non-existent in the atmosphere so we can't absorb it to replenish our own Chakra when we use it. For Ethernano however, all people can use it as our bodies absorb the energy everyday from the atmosphere. It also allows us to recover more Ethernano quickly even when we do use up a lot of magical power. In short, it's an extension of our souls and imagination being brought into the real realm."

Natsu crosses his arms in thought after hearing Kakashi's explanation but he still looked confused. Not knowing how to explain things more simpler, the masked shinobi just scratched his hair in tiredness at Natsu's simple mind.

"Think of the two energies like this." Natsu and the others turned their eyes towards Naruto who started to walk towards Natsu, "The two energies and our bodies are essentially like an egg and the yolk. The eggshell represents Ethernano and us while the yolk inside resembles Chakra. Even though we absorb a lot of nutrients, there are some eggs that can't be cracked, thus keeping the yolk contained inside to spoil. But if an egg can be cracked, then we're able to release the content inside to cook for a delicious breakfast."

Natsu, Sakura, Sasuke, and Kakashi stared at the whiskered blonde in disbelief at his very simple but weird explanation of Ethernano and Chakra.

"Are you joking right now?! How can you expect someone to even get that analogy?! It's doesn't make any sense whatsoever-" Sakura yelled at Naruto for making an even more senseless explanation of Ethernano and Chakra.

"Oh… So it's just like eggs." Natsu bopped one hand into his other in enlightenment, "See Sakura, why couldn't you just explain it like that?"

Everyone but Naruto, Sasuke, and Sayla stared at Natsu in some kind of shock at how he finally managed to understand the concept. Sakura felt one eye twitch from Natsu's statement and had to restrain herself from shouting even more.

"You… actually understood that analogy?" Natsu nodded to Kakashi's question, making the shinobi sigh at the relief of being spared from explaining to Natsu anymore,

"Well, with that out of the way, let me affirm that even with the knowledge of the two energies, it doesn't mean that you can instantly control them so easily. For you see, even with the amount of spells that you know, I can still tell that some of you aren't using Chakra or Ethernano efficiently."

"Efficiently? What do you mean by th-" Natsu began to say until Kakashi interrupted him to finish his explanation,

"Even though the two energies are entirely different, they still require some form of concentration to maintain their power and form. If you keep on using multiple spells without having control over your flow of power, then the spell will either weaken or not work at all."

Natsu, Sakura, and Sasuke stared at Kakashi in curiosity or confusion at the man's words. Being the curious one of the group, Sakura raised her hand to get Kakashi's attention,

"Wait a minute, Kakashi-sensei. If that's the case, then what do you propose on how should we train to control our Ethernano and Chakra?"

"Hmm…" The masked shinobi mumbled as he grabbed his chin in a thinking manner. Eventually, he removed the hand and holds in front of his face while making a single hand sign, "It's simple. You're going to learn how to control Ethernano and Chakra through intensive training; starting with tree climbing."

"HUH?" Everyone but Sayla gaped at Kakashi's last few words while questioning what was to be gained from climbing trees. Natsu looked like he was about to protest when Kakashi continued to speak,

"This isn't your usual tree-climbing; the focus of this training exercise is to climb the trees _without_ using your hands."

"Without using your hands… Wait, how can someone actually do that-" Natsu began to shout out until Kakashi walked up to the nearest tree with his crutches. All of the tweens and child kept their eyes on Kakashi when he placed one foot onto the trunk of the tree. Eventually, everyone but Naruto, Sasuke (to an extent), and Sayla were shocked when Kakashi had managed to walk vertically on the tree trunk along with his crutches.

"Whoa… Sugei! I wanna try that trick!" Natsu exclaimed with stars twinkling in his eyes. The others just observe Kakashi as he remained firm on the tree trunk after walking a considerable distance.

"You see… by having control on how much Ethernano and Chakra you should focus into one part of your body, then you should be able to do a simple feed like this. But, this exercise can still be accomplished with only Ethernano if you haven't awakened your own Chakra yet. However, it's recommended to have both Ethernano and Chakra as you'll be able to get additional traits in your spells that you can't get if you just use only one."

"So in other words, by establishing a focus on control over Ethernano and Chakra through this exercise, then it shouldn't be a problem in creating our own individual spells through this lesson." The masked shinobi smiled at how adapted Sasuke was in shortening his explanation to a brief one.

His group was beginning to feel anticipation swelling up inside of them as the masked shinobi continued to observe them. Meanwhile, Naruto and Jellal smiled at the various possibilities Kakashi's lessons have provided. Although it didn't really matter to them since if someone were to look really closely, they could see a hint of nostalgia inside of the boys' eyes.

"Well, what are we waiting for?! Let's begin already!" Natsu yelled out as he ran up to the nearest tree. He placed one foot onto the tree trunk and tried to place the other foot onto the tree but instead, he lost his balance and landed flat on his back.

"Ow…. Alright! One more time!" Natsu instantly got back up and tries to do the same thing again except failing once more. He does this over and over again with the same results while the others watched in annoyance or boredom,

"Umm… Natsu, perhaps this exercise isn't well-suited for you…." Kakashi tried to say while Natsu was still trying to walk on the tree like the former.

"Eh?! But I can still keep going, Masked-Face!" Kakashi sighed tiredly at the name Natsu gave him.

"I know that you still can but since your Chakra hasn't awakened yet, you have to rely only on Ethernano. But the main problem is that you don't have the patience to concentration either energies at all."

"So how can I awaken my Chakra or do this exercise at all if you say that I don't have any patience at all?!"

The masked shinobi saw that Natsu wasn't going to be convinced to change his mind anytime soon. But then, another solution to handle Natsu's stubbornness had clicked in his mind.

"Well, there is one option you can do instead of tree climbing." Natsu stared at Kakashi intently as the masked shinobi turned his gaze towards Naruto. The _Dragon Slayer _notices this and turns to Naruto as well,

"You spar with Naruto in order to acquire the patience that you need to maintain your Ethernano in one part of your body."

Naruto felt his eyebrows raise up in surprise at the masked shinobi's suggestion. Natsu, however, had a satisfied expression on his face while cracking his fists in excitement. Jellal was trying not to snicker at Naruto's predicament while Sakura and Sasuke watched Natsu approach the blonde with his grin intact,

"_Oh brother…. I know that Naruto kid has some skills that are impressive, but I feel sorry for him right now._" Sakura thought to herself while observing the current situation, "_Considering that he's place in charge to teach Natsu 'patience' of all thing, it's probably going to take FOREVER._"

"Alright, I'm all fired up now. You ready, Whiskers?! Because I'm been waiting to get a shot at you for a while now."

"_Was that dim-witted knucklehead even listening to what Kakashi-sensei suggested?! Knowing him, he only heard the part with Naruto…_"

Knowing that Natsu wasn't going to be listening right now, Naruto took in a deep exhale and got into a stance,

"Guess you leave me no choice… Just for a warning, I'm not going easy on you, dattebayo!" Naruto remarked while donning the same grin Natsu has on his face.

Taking that as a signal, Kakashi walked off the tree trunk and signalled Sasuke and Sakura to turn their attention towards him,

"Alright. With that out of the way, I say you two will begin your training once this fight calms down, is that alright with you two?"

The two were still curious of Naruto's fighting style as it was something that they haven't seen before. Sakura nodded her head in response while Sasuke remained silent and kept his eyes on Natsu and Naruto.

Silence had risen in the area as Natsu and Naruto silently stare at each other, observing every movement the other makes. Even though he didn't see the _Dragon Slayer _face off against Zabuza, Naruto could tell from the slight twitch in his right leg that he was the kind of person who would charge into a fight without thinking first. Following this train of thought, Naruto slightly took a step forward which caused Natsu to immediately charge forward.

"And there he goes again…" Sakura drily commented just as Natsu leapt above Naruto with his right hand ignited,

"_Fire Dragon's Iron Fist (Karyū no Tekken)_!" Natsu lunged his ignited fist towards Naruto who moved his body to the left just as Natsu punched the spot he was previously standing at. Instantly, Natsu sprang back up and stretched his other arm towards the blonde. Naruto grabbed the incoming fist and pushed Natsu back a second later.

"GYYYAAAHHH!" Natsu shouted loudly as he applied pressure into his feet so he could skid to a stop. Right after he stopped, the pink-haired _Dragon Slayer_ ran towards the blonde with flames beginning to engulf his entire body.

"_Fire Dragon's Sword Horn (Karyū no Kenkaku)_!"

Natsu leapt off the ground and rammed directly into Naruto's stomach, sending the blonde flying into a nearby tree. The others watched clouds of dirt rise from the trunk Naruto crashed into. Natsu landed on the ground soon after and kept his eyes on the specific tree,

"Do… Do you think Naruto-san is alright, Jellal?" Wendy asked the older boy who turned his attention from the fight towards her now. The older blue-haired reassured the girl with a small smile and beckoned his head towards the cloud of dirt. Wendy looked from Jellal towards the trunk where the cloud of dirt had receded, just to reveal nothing was there but a large hole at the base of the trunk.

"W-what in the- Kakashi-sensei! Natsu landed a direct hit on Naruto so how in the world is-"

"Naruto not there now?" Kakashi finished Sakura's question while keeping his eyes on the trunk Naruto crashed into, "Naruto did get hit, yes, but the real question should be: Was that really Naruto that Natsu headbutted in the stomach?"

Sakura looked at the masked shinobi in confusion at his words. Until she heard a rustle nearby and with everyone else, they turned to the source and saw Naruto appear unharmed from the tree branches above,

"What the- How are you not injured?!" Natsu shouted at the blonde who landed in front of the hole 'he' made in the tree. Naruto smirked at the confusion the pink-haired boy expressed in his voice. The blonde raised his hands in front of his face and crossed his fingers to make a hand sign,

"You want to know, eh? Then let me just show you guys then." A magic seal appeared in front of his hands as two puffs of smoke appeared next to him. To the shock of everyone but Kakashi in the older man's group, two exact copies of Naruto emerged from the clouds of smoke,

"_He.. He can actually create physical Clones? That's usually impossible…. But that just means that this guy must have a large amount of power to split it evenly between two clones…._" Sasuke thought mentally while Natsu could only gape in shock at what just occurred,

"Alright you guys, do the thing!"

"Yosh!" The clones saluted as they leapt into the air, capturing everyone's attention again. The first clone's leg glowed orange-yellow while the second clone's arms emitted the same colors. Everyone kept their eyes on the two as the second grabbed the first's glowing leg with both hands and spun both of them around,

"_Shadow Clone Cannon (Kage Bushin no Taihō)_!" The second clone threw the first toward Natsu using the velocity of their rotation as a booster.

The first clone, during his trajectory, curled up into a ball and begun to somersault towards Natsu. Natsu tried to dodge the attack and almost succeeded but the _Dragon Slayer _didn't take in the speed the clone was descending at. The clone then crashed into Natsu's left leg, embedding the latter into the ground while creating a strong current of wind, pushing mostly everyone back from the recoil. As soon as the wind current died down, everyone turned their attention towards the crater Natsu lied face-flat in, clouds of dirt rising from the crater. Naruto and the remaining clone nimbly landed on the ground while Naruto dispelled the clone at that exact moment.

As the cloud of dirt began to clear out, the pink-haired _Dragon Slayer_ emerged from the crater, obviously worn out from the attack. But regardless of his condition, everyone saw the smirk that was on the boy's face.

"You… You really are strong, Whiskers!" Natsu exclaimed while Sasuke and Sakura were keeping their attention towards the whiskered blonde. Naruto felt his eyebrow twitched again, but rapidly shook his head to keep himself composed.

Although, the blond could sense that Jellal was quietly chuckling at his situation while Wendy looked at the older boy in confusion. But nevertheless, Naruto could tell that Natsu wasn't going to give up that easily. The blonde therefore got back into a fighting stance as he focused his ethernano into his arms.

"Well then, come at me, if you dare!" Naruto said with a smirk. In an instant, Natsu lit his fists on fire and lunged towards the blonde. The two each traded blow to blow but neither of them was giving in when they managed to land a hit on each other.

While the two were facing off, the others were immersed into the fight that they didn't even noticed Inari had came to watch them. As the boy saw the two keep on trading hits, he saw the two smile despite the pain and exhaustion they were beginning to feel. Upon seeing Natsu and Naruto smile, an older man having a similar smile appeared in the boy's mind, causing him to clench his hands to suppress his inner feelings from emerging. Inari then turned away from the fighting while gaining the attention of Sayla who watched him walk back to the house without saying anything to stop him.

* * *

Meanwhile in a tent-like fortress somewhere in the distance, the boy is sitting nearby Zabuza who's resting due to being temporarily killed for a short while. The boy knew that Zabuza would recover in a week's time or so, he couldn't help but remember on how he was almost snuff out by the blonde. The whiskered kid looked like he wasn't the brightest at first glance, but somehow in the end, the boy knew that he caught onto something but couldn't do anything to stop them. As he continued to think to himself, the door behind the boy opened and three men walked into the bedroom.

"So even you came back defeated…." The short man in the middle sarcastically remarked as he arrogantly entered the room, "It looks like Kirikagure shinobi are just downright pathetic…"

The man to the left was just around the height of Zabuza and has a giant goatee growing. He's mostly tattooed on the left side of his body while having only some on his right upper arm. He has bandages around his shirtless torso and sporting an eyepatch around his right eye as well as stitches on a scar over his left eye and on the left side of his mouth. In addition, he has baggy striped pants tied with a giant sash that goes over his knees and his brown hair is mostly tied up in three topknots. Finally, he wears simple straw sandals on his feet and holds a sheathed katana in the right side of his sash.

The man on the right was up to the first man's shoulders and he sports a hooded long-sleeve jacket tied with a sash around the torso. He also has dark pants that goes over his knees and sports open-toed sneakers and has a purple hat that extends further from his head. He has bluish-white hair and line markings under his eyes; and like the other man, he has a katana tucked in the right side of his sash.

Finally, the man who spoke was rather short as mentioned before while he has the typical suit and tie wore for businessmen. He has dark round shades over his eyes while his hair was rather spiked up in three different directions. In addition, he has two small whiskers for a moustache.

The feminine male looked back at the man as the shorter man began to approach the two of them,

"And what's with not being able to avenge your fellow men? Don't make me laugh; after all, you're the guy who's supposed to be a so-called 'devil'..."

Zabuza retains his gaze onto the ceiling while ignoring the words the short man had spouted about. Seeing that he was ignoring their boss, the men began to draw out their katanas, catching the boy's attention.

"Hold on for a second." The man lifted his hands in front of the swordsman, making them stop unsheathing their blades. The man continued to walk up to Zabuza's bedside as he began to lift a hand towards the Kirikagure shinobi's throat,

"Hey, there's no reason to be quiet all of a sudden… Now, how about the two of us talk about-" The man's words were interrupted when the feminine boy grabbed the man's arm when it was a few inches away from Zabuza's throat,

"Don't touch Zabuza-san with your dirty hands." The boy coldly warned the man before tightening his grip on the man's arm,

"Why you-" The man began to say before a sudden crack was heard in the man's arm, signalling the two men to draw out their swords. This caught the boy's attention and suddenly, the men pulled out nothing but thin air as they felt the boy hold their katanas directly at their throats.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Because right now, I'm rather angry at the moment." The boy warned the men in the same voice as before.

The shorter man could only clenched his broken arm as he stared at the boy in slight fear. Reluctantly, he turned to the bedridden shinobi and cried out,

"One more time! If you fail me one more time; you're aren't welcome here, you hear?!" The man then turned around and left the room. The boy gave the men their katanas back as they followed their superior out of the room after sheathing their katanas.

"Haku.. You know that you didn't have to do that.." Zabuza said as underneath the bed sheets, he held a kunai ready to skew the man from before with.

"I know, Zabuza-san." The boy said as he sat back down next to Zabuza's bed, "But it's still too early to kill Gato. After all, if we were to cause any commotion whatsoever, they'll be on to us again. We must be patient..."

Zabuza turned his head to look at the boy sitting next to his bedside. Upon seeing the smile on his face, the masked shinobi turned away from the boy and looked outside the window,

"Yeah… You have a point…."

* * *

"You have been staring at the horizon for quite some time… Is the desire to look for this person that urgent for you, Luklab?"

The boy looked from the horizon and to the cloaked woman standing behind him. After walking for quite some time, the two of them are taking a little break before the woman led them back to her guild. He remained silent and turned back around to look at the view below. Knowing that he wasn't going to respond, Kyouka raised her right hand to Luklab's head and brushed his hair gently,

"May I ask who exactly is it that you're looking for?"

The young demon continued to gaze at the view while Kyouka kept on brushing his hair. He began to slowly look up to the sky and kept his gaze on a few clouds that drift in the skies above,

"I… don't know…. All that I know is that they have black hair like me…." The demon said quietly as the older woman smiled at the demon's honesty. Before she could ask anything else, Luklab immediately answered the question she had in mind,

"Also… besides having black hair, I can tell that the person I'm looking for…. is a girl as well." The demon turned around to the older demon who still had her smile intact.

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**As I mentioned at the very beginning of this chapter, this chapter was delayed to an extent because of this: CREATIVE PROCRASTINATION. I know it's not really a real word but I'm sure you all get the jest of it. So for all of you future writers reading this, make sure you're at your peak when you're writing for any literature-related subjects otherwise the aforementioned problem will probably bite you in the butt. But other than that, I'll try to get the next chapter up sometime either at the last few weeks of June or the first few weeks of July. **

**Thanks for reading and leave a review if possible. **


	13. The Existence of Heroes

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 12: The Existence of Heroes

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Naruto. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima while Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

_September X777_,

"Wait, thief!"

A couple of kids began to pick up the pace as a man in his thirties chased after them. While the other civilians were paying no heed towards the commotion, this however caught the attention of Sakura.

Since she was able to have substantial control over her ethernano from the course of the training, Sakura was tasked with guarding Tazuna for the day. The day went slowly for her but it did make curious as to why Tazuna was so determined to finish the construction of the bridge. Bit by bit, the answer was beginning to become clear to her as Sakura walked with Tazuna to the marketplace. Right near the doorway, Sakura spotted a child in rags sitting the ground with his head on his knees.

Sakura and Tazuna entered the marketplace as the latter scouted the aisles for the food he needed to get for dinner. The two looked over the aisles while Sakura noticed that there was hardly a good amount of food on display.

"_What is wrong with this country? There's barely anything on sell here…_" The pink-haired girl thought to herself as a stray man walked past her and noticed her purse. He tried to reach for it but only made Sakura feel like someone was touching her,

"Hey, watch where you're touching, you stinking pervert!" Sakura exclaimed as she roundhouse kicked the man in the mouth. The man fell onto his back while Tazuna turned his attention from the nearby vegetables to the tween as she panted from being "touched".

Tazuna recovered from the sudden commotion and got the food he needed to get. As Tazuna and Sakura walked out of the marketplace and started to head towards Tazuna's home, the latter chuckled slightly from remembering the commotion Sakura created,

"You really surprised me and mostly everyone back there. But this just shows that you really are capable of defending yourself though."

"Just.. what's going in this place? Why is everything practically like a slum here?" Sakura asked Tazuna when someone approached the girl from behind. Feeling someone pull the behind of her dress, Sakura began to feel agitated from the touch.

"Hey, watch where you're-" Sakura yelled as she turned to see no one. She then looked down and saw that it was a child that pulled on her dress.

The child looked frightened at first but then she held her hands out, silently asking for food. Sakura dug into her purse and placed several wrapped candies into the girl's hands. Satisfied, the girl bowed to Sakura and began to run off in the other direction as the tween gazed at the girl sympathetically,

"I'm afraid it's always been like this since Gatō arrived. All the adults have lost hope ever since then." Tazuna told Sakura when he figured out what was on the girl's mind. Turning back around, he resumed speaking, "That's why we need the bridge. A symbol of courage… We need the people to regain their confidence and stand up for themselves. By completing that bridge… this land will be restored to its former glory and the people will return to the way they were before… _he_ died…"

Sakura looked at the bridge-builder's back sympathetically while she thought on how the other were faring at this moment.

* * *

"Y-You're ready to give up yet?" Natsu panted as he tried to maintain his stance in front of the blonde before him. Unlike the _Dragon Slayer _though, Naruto was slightly battered from their training spars. But nevertheless, he too was beginning to feel exhausted from fighting throughout the day with little breaks.

"Not a chance… After all, I can still sense that you're still yet to balance out your ethernano usage. If you don't, then you're just going to strain yourself from using too much ethernano in your spells." Natsu scoffed at Naruto's statement while Wendy, Jellal, and Sayla were still watching them.

Sasuke was sitting at the base of a tree trunk, also watching the two spar as he took a break from his own training. He was uninterested at Natsu's attempts to beat down the whiskered blond at first but then Sasuke noticed how the pink-haired boy was starting to adapt to Naruto's fighting style. Natsu was sloppy at first when he begun adjusting to Naruto's movements but when he got the hang of it, the _Dragon Slayer _was able to dish out a couple of good hits on the blonde.

But even from that, somehow, Sasuke knew that the blonde wasn't going to be easy to beat down just from a couple of successful punches.

"Well then… I'll just keep on beating you until you drop!" Natsu shouted out when he leapt towards Naruto. Naruto stood still before leaning his head to the right just as Natsu threw a left hook. Natsu instantly recovered and ignited his right foot,

"_Fire Dragon's Claw (Karyū no Kagizume)_!"

The _Dragon Slayer _leapt above the whiskered blonde and drove his foot towards Naruto's head. The blonde managed to block but the recoil of the attack made him sink into the ground, breaking the ground beneath him slightly.

"Amazing… That Natsu, I can say for sure; he can easily match Naruto when it comes to persistence." Jellal commented while Wendy was starting to worry that the two are taking it too far. Considering that she could see that they were on the verge of falling over.

Mustering some of his remaining strength, Naruto pushed the pink-haired boy off him as the latter landed a few feet in front of him. Knowing that Natsu wasn't going to give up anytime soon, Naruto began to focus ethernano into his right arm when a crutch extended in front of him,

"Alright, I think that is enough for today. We can resume training tomorrow." Naruto looked towards Kakashi as he moved the crutch away from the two of them, "It's starting to get late out and we don't want to worry Sakura and Tazuna-san on our tardiness."

Naruto soon relaxed from his current stance and stood straight up. Natsu, however, was beginning to throw a fit of having to stop fighting at the best part. Fortunately, Kakashi had something in mind that'll change the _Dragon Slayer_'s attitude,

"If you say so, Natsu. Then I guess we'll just have all of the food to ourselves since you _really_ want to stay here so badly." The masked shinobi began to walk back to Tazuna's home. Despite looking the other way, Kakashi knew that Natsu was starting to twitch from the mention of 'food'. So to add in even more dismay, Kakashi mentioned the one thing that frightened the _Dragon Slayer_,

"Then again… I could tell everyone in the guild, especially Erza, that you've been avoiding your meals just to pick fights with traveling children."

That sealed the deal on Kakashi's half as Natsu's face suddenly turned from his usual upset look to horrified in an instance. When Naruto and the others saw this happen, they began to wonder on what was so terrifying about this Erza that made Natsu shiver in fear.

* * *

"My, my. Having a jovial atmosphere like this really is nostalgic." Tazuna commented upon seeing Natsu and Naruto devour their food like animals, "After all, it has been a while since we ate with so many people."

Naruto and Natsu kept on eating the food in front messily while the other occupants watched the commotion with various expressions. Sakura was watching the scene with disgust while Kakashi, and Sasuke looked at the two stoically with the masked adult having a small sweatdrop drip down his face.

"I want some more!" Naruto and Natsu shouted with their mouths full, causing them to glare daggers at each other. But this didn't last long when both of them turned around and began to barf,

"If you two are just going to throw up from eating, then don't eat at all!" Sakura yelled at the two of them as they finished vomiting. Jellal slightly chuckled in embarrassment at Naruto's actions while Wendy's face turned bright red from the exact same reason.

"No way Sakura. I have to eat, so I can training even more to beat Whiskers." Natsu wiped his mouth clean of any remaining vomit.

"_Well, part of that statement is true. But that doesn't mean you should stuff yourself to the point of throwing up…_" Kakashi thought in his head while Naruto grin at the _Dragon Slayer_'s words,

"If that's the case, then I'll just to eat more than you so you can't catch up too quickly now." Naruto taunted Natsu, making the pink-haired boy more agitated. But in the midst of it, Naruto noticed something and turned to his left to see that Sayla didn't touch anything on her plate,

"Um Sayla, aren't you going to eat?" The rest of the occupants at the table turned their attention to the she-demon when they noticed her untouched plate. Natsu began to move towards the plate to take it, that was until Sakura bonked him in the head,

"_You_ already had enough as it is! And it's extremely rude to take other people's food without asking them!"

While Natsu rubbed his head, Sayla began to look back and forth between Naruto and the plate of food in front of her. She eventually pushed her plate towards Naruto who looked at the plate in shock,

"A-Are you sure you don't want to eat?" Naruto asked uncertainly while Sayla slowly nodded her head in response. Even though Naruto did asked for seconds, he felt guilty if someone was going to give them their plate without even eating themselves. Something snapped inside his brain as the blonde took a scoop of the food. While Sakura, Jellal, and Natsu were expecting Naruto to eat the food given to him, what they didn't expect however was Naruto holding the spoonful of food in front of Sayla.

"Etto… Naruto-san, what are you doing?" Wendy asked rather curiously while everyone but Sasuke, Natsu, and Inari were staring at the blonde in shock or amusement. Sayla, however, was staring at the spoon in front of her as she looked directly at Naruto in a questioning manner,

"Well, to be honest, I really do want seconds but it's just doesn't feel right if you gave me your food without eating anything yourself." Before she could actually respond, Naruto began to resume speaking, "You're probably not used to sitting at a table full of other people, so it's kind of awkward for you, huh... So why don't you give a try, dattebayo?"

The others looked at the blonde in confusion while Jellal and Wendy were able to slightly understand where Naruto was coming from. Sayla stared at the spoon in front of her and then at Naruto for a second before she quietly exhaled. Everyone at the table, especially Naruto, became flabbergasted when Sayla leaned forward and ate the spoonful of food. The blonde hesitantly pulled the spoon out of the she-demon's mouth as she chewed for a couple of seconds before swallowing it.

"So how is it, Sayla-san?" Wendy asked as Sayla stared at the little girl when she heard the question. The she-demon eventually nods slowly in an approving manner, making Wendy and the boys next to her smile.

"Does this mean that you're going to eat it now?" Natsu abruptly jumped into the conversation, making everyone but Sayla, Sasuke, and Inari laugh at the comment. Sakura, however, grabbed Natsu into a headlock and scolded him in the form of multiple noogies.

A few minutes laters, everyone had finished their meals and went off to do their own business. As Sakura was walking around the dining room, she noticed the picture frame hanging near the doorway. She observed it for a few more seconds before noticing something about it,

"Excuse me, but why do you guys have a torn picture on the wall?" The occupants of the house slightly winced at Sakura's question, "Inari-kun was staring at this during dinner. It really seemed like the person that was in the photo was purposely torned out."

Tazuna and his family had grim expressions on their faces which Kakashi took notice of instantly. Eventually, an answer to Sakura's question came a few seconds later,

"It's my husband…" Tsunami replied without turning around as she continued to wash the dishes, "He was also-"

"The man who the people of this land called its hero." Tazuna grimly finished as Inari abruptly got up from the table. Everyone's attention turned to the younger male as he made his way to the doorway,

"Inari, where are you going?" Tsunami asked before Inari walked through the doorway and shut the door behind him, "Inari!"

As everyone kept their eyes on the closed door, the widowed mother turned from the door to her father,

"Father, I told you not to talk about that _man_ in front of Inari!" Tsunami scolded Tazuna while everyone but Naruto turned their gazes away from the door.

"What's wrong with Inari-kun?" Wendy asked Jellal who shurgged in response to her question. Naruto, however, kept his eyes on the door while Sayla was about to shake the blonde out of his daze until,

"Hey Tazuna-jiji." Tazuna turned his gaze towards Naruto upon hearing the latter call his name, "Is the missing piece of that photo…. in Inari's possession right now?"

Everyone but Sayla, Kakashi, and Sasuke in the room stared at Naruto in shock. Upon thinking it thoroughly, Wendy and Jellal understood why Naruto asked such a question. Naruto must've found out something that they didn't know about. Seeing that the blond must've figured out what was wrong, Tazuna began to answer his question,

"Inari once had a father that wasn't related by blood. But regardless of that fact, the two of them shared a bond that was almost like the real thing. In fact, Inari would laugh a lot back then…"

While Tazuna was speaking, everyone was listening to the man's answer closely. Especially Natsu who could actually understand what the feeling was like as well. But when the older man stopped speaking all of a sudden, the others thought he needed a breather. That wasn't the case when Naruto turned to Tazuna and saw that he was trembling in agony,

"But… that all changed when the incident with his father happened and Inari hasn't smiled or laughed ever since."

"An incident? What happened to this man you speak highly of?" Kakashi asked while Tazuna wiped the tears that were still on his eyes.

"It was around three years ago that Inari had met that man… The man we all called the hero of this land...

* * *

_X774,_

"_No, NO! Give Pochi back right now! He's my pet, not yours!" A five-year old Inari shouted to the bully in front of him. The bully's cronies were holding onto his arms tightly, restricting him from taking another step further._

"_Wrong! That's not his name! His name is Shooting Star! And he's mine now!"_

"_No he's not! He's mine-"_

"_Shut your trap already, punk!" The bully shouted until an idea had popped in his head. He threw Pochi into the lake, causing the dog to frantically splash about to stay afloat._

"_POCHI! "_

"_Oops… Looks like I changed my mind." The bully said when he turned around to look at Inari smugly, "Alright you two, let Inari go."_

_The cronies let go of Inari as the boy ran up to the edge of the port to see Pochi still struggling to stay afloat,_

"_Well he's your precious dog, isn't he? Then go save him already."_

_Inari clenched his fists in distress as the bullies laughed at Inari's situation. The young boy felt his entire body tense up in fear when Pochi looked like he was about to sink. He really wanted to save his beloved pet but in the end, his fear of drowning got the best of him as he could only watch._

"_Well, if he's your dog, then go save him already!" The leader kicked Inari into the water, making him land next to Pochi._

"_WAAH! Help, I can't swim!" The boy yelled desperately as he frantically splashed about to keep afloat,_

"_Hey Akane-san… This is bad. If he can't swim, then we'll be-" One of the cronies tried to speak up to their leader until the aforementioned person grabbed the cronie by the collar,_

"_Forget him already!" The cronie tried to speak up but the gaze in Akane's eyes made him think otherwise, "Then do you want to save him and the pet?"_

_Inari kept himself afloat despite not being able to swim until suddenly, he heard Pochi bark. He turned his gaze towards the dog who paddled all the way back to the shore without noticing Inari at all. The bullies noticed Pochi shaking itself dry and decide to go after it once it ran off. Inari couldn't keep himself afloat and drowned while thinking that he was going to die._

_But for some reason, light began to pierce his blackened vision as he opened his eyes. Once he opened his eyes, he noticed the blue sky along with the sun and clouds. The boy realized that he was alive and was about to get up until he heard crackling nearby,_

"_You finally awake, kid?"_

_Inari quickly turned to the left to see a man with his back towards him, cooking something on a campfire. The man finally turned around and gave Inari a reassuring smile when he spoke again,_

"_I gave those kids a yelling or two. They'll think twice before bothering you again." The man took one of the fish kabobs he was cooking and held it towards Inari, "You must be hungry right about now so here, eat up. There's more if you still feel hungry."_

"_Did.. Did you save me?" Inari said while he kept his eyes on the man in front of him. The man kept his smile on his face as he chuckled in amusement at the boy's question._

"_I might've. Besides, you sure were getting picked on, weren't you?" _

_Inari looked down in shame and eventually nodded in response to the man's question. The boy looked back up and explained what had occurred to the man who listened with opened ears._

"_I see… So your dog didn't even help you after you were pushed into the ocean." The man said while Inari was now eating one of the skewed fish, "You see, where I come from, dogs are extremely loyal animals."_

"_But you didn't try to help him either, so what can you expect?" Inari stopped munching on the fish as his eyes began to water up from remembering his pet abandoning him,_

_*sniff, sniff* "I was scared… I wanted to save him, I did… But I wasn't brave enough to do so and now-" Inari felt the man began to scuffle his head reassuringly. _

"_Yeah, any kid your age would be afraid when they're in a situation like that. But kid… just remember this." The man reassured Inari while he looked up to the sky to gather his thoughts. Eventually, they came and thus the man began to say them outloud to Inari._

"_If you're a man, choose a life of no regrets… For something that is precious to you… No matter how tough, no matter how sad you are, you must try to protect them with your two arms. And if you managed to do just that, even at the cost of your own life, the proof of a man's life will always remain." _

_Inari looked up towards the man as he stared into his eyes in shock and amazement at the same time. The man was now rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment from saying those words. But Inari quickly snapped out of his shock and smiled at the man for his reassuring words._

"_Hey, you finally smiled!" The man exclaimed jovially as he held out another fish kabob while eating one himself, "Here, come eat some more while it's still warm!"_

"_Yeah!" Inari replied back with the same joyful tone._

"That man's name was Kaiza. He was a fisherman who came here to follow his own dreams. Even since that day, he and Inari became very close. It might've been because of how Inari's real father passed away when he was an infant, but their relationship was exactly like a real son and father."

"It was only a matter of time before Kaiza became a part of the family." Everyone for the most part smiled upon hearing what kind of man Kaiza was, "And Kaiza was also a man the city needed."

"_Terrible news, Kaiza! The rain from this storm is causing the dam to overflow! At this rate, the entire D-area will be flooded!" A villager came to warn Kaiza and Inari at their household._

"_Not good! Inari, bring me a rope!" _

"_Yeah!"_

_At the aforementioned area, the water was beginning to build rapidly to the point of the dam breaking apart. The villagers gathered in the area could only stand and watch as the water began to increase tremendously._

"_This is bad… We have to get a rope across and tie it to the gate to close it!"_

"_Are you crazy?! If you jump into the rapids as they are now, you'll die!"_

"_So what do we do then?! If we continue to just stand here and watch, then the D-area will be wiped out!"_

_The villagers began to panic upon the inevitable fate of what will happen if the dam wasn't fixed. Fortunately, they didn't have to wait for an answer for too long,_

"_I'll do it."_

_The villagers gathered all turned around to see Kaiza approaching with a serious look on his face. As some of them try to convince the man not to risk his life, Inari slowly approached his step-dad anxiously until he heard Kaiza speak up again, _

"_Don't worry, Inari… Your dad's invincible." Kaiza placed a comforting hand on top of Inari's hat-bearing head while smiling as well for extra reassurance, "Because your dad loves the city that you are from."_

_Inari watched his step-father walk away and leapt into the rapid currents. While the villagers were watching anxiously every time it looked like Kaiza will be swept up, Inari remained brave and cheered Kaiza on. His cheering came into fruition as the man was able to get to the gate and tie the rope on it._

"_Alright, he did it! Everyone, pull!"_

"Even since then, Kaiza was called a hero by the people of this land. And Inari couldn't be any prouder of his father. But… it was some time later that Gatō came to this land."

"And was this the incident that changed this land?" Kakashi asked Tazuna while the majority of the tweens were sitting in anticipation of the harsh truth to the old man's story. The elderly man could only take a short breath before trembling in anguish at remembering as he managed to reveal the truth that haunted everyone in the land,

"In front of everyone... Gatō executed Kaiza so that no one would ever dare go against him or his company."

While Kakashi listened on grimly, the rest of them, especially Wendy, was either shocked or upset at the harsh revelation. Naruto gripped his arms tightly to compress his inner emotions, catching Sayla's attention when she felt him slightly tremble.

"_Listen up! This man has been conducting terrorist activities against me and Gatō Corporation!" Gatō announced while attracting everyone's attention to an armless Kaiza who was tied up to a wooden cross, "He has been disrupting this country's peace and will be executed as punishment for said crime. I hope that this will be a perfect example as to not let something like this happen again!"_

"_Dad!" _

"_Inari, get back! If you take one step closer, you'll be punished too!" A villager grabbed Inari by the shoulder to prevent the boy from getting killed. _

_Even though the man was severely injured, he heard Inari's cry and looked towards him with a regretful smile on his face. Having wasted enough time, the business tycoon beckoned one of his guards to the fisherman,_

"_Kill him." The guard began to pull out his katana slowly as Inari looked on anxiously with tears running down his face. Time slowed down for a second before a silence swish was heard and blood flew in the air. Eventually all that was heard for the rest of the treacherous commotion was the cries of an emotionally-scarred Inari._

* * *

"Even since then, Inari has changed for the worse… As with Tsunami and everyone else…" Tazuna solemnly finished the sad tale as everyone was silently taking all of this in.

While everyone was slowly coming to after hearing Tazuna's tale, Naruto managed to calm down from his little episode and turned his gaze towards the torn photo.

"_Are you really that stupid? Why are you trying to act like you're some kind of hero? Because in this world, there are no heroes! They just simply died the second they just show up!"_

Naruto began to get up, much to everyone else's surprise, and begins to head outside once again.

"Oi Whiskers! Where are you going?!" Natsu cried out as he began to follow the whiskered blonde only to be stopped by Kakashi, "Masked Guy, what are you-"

"Naruto… You've already spent most of the day sparring with Natsu. If you continue to waste any more of your ethernano or chakra, you'll be wiped out completely like-"

"I'm going to prove it to him." Everyone looked at Naruto curiously as he got closer to the door.

"Prove what exactly?" Sakura asked while Naruto grabbed ahold of the door and opened it wide for him to exit out,

"I'm going to prove to Inari that in this world… Heroes really do exist!" Naruto proclaimed as he left the household, leaving everyone to ponder over the blonde's words. Wendy looked to Jellal for answers which he looked at the younger girl to silently tell her the answer. The two stared at the opened door with everyone else while Sayla began to thought of the proclamations Naruto made when they first met.

_"I may not know how it feels to be treated like some kind of outcast. Heck, I'm not even a demon myself; but I do know this much though for sure. Regardless of what you really are, I can't just ignore anyone that's in pain. Just seeing all of that negativity, it just makes me pissed off to see someone being treated like that! That's why I want to help you in any way that I can, so that you won't have to feel alone anymore!"_

_"Do you really distrust people after everything you've been through?" Naruto slowly let go of his stomach while getting back up. Sayla kept her eye on him as he continued to speak, _

_"Does selfless desires really bother you that much? If that's really the case, then I'll-" Naruto quickly turned to Mizuki's direction and crossed his fingers again to summon a Shadow Clone by his side,_

_"I'll break down the barrier that you're isolating yourself into! I'll show you that some humans have a heart to care even for people like you! No matter how pain and suffering I have to endure for you to see the truth, my friends and I will do all that we can to help you out! Because that's my nindō, my solemn oath, dattebayo!"_

"He really is something, isn't he?" Both Wendy and Jellal turned to Sayla when they heard her say that. Much to the latter's surprise, the she-demon was sporting a small smile on her face. The two of them managed to get over their shock before they both smiled at each other, understanding why Sayla was smiling.

* * *

Even since he had made that proclamation, Naruto had been training endlessly for the next several days non-stop. There were days where he sparred with Natsu but other than that, he kept to himself and continued to perfect his original spells so he could keep his _Tailed Beast Magic (Bijū no Mahō)_ a secret. But after training non-stop for almost the entire week, the aforementioned boy is lying on his back sleeping.

Meanwhile at Zabuza's hideout, Haku untied the cloth that kept his long hair in a bun. He then changed from his Hunter-Nin attire to that of a pink kimono with a white obi tied around the waist and simple sandals. After he changed his outfit, he picked up the basket on a nearby table and walked out from the hideout to look for the herbs needed for Zabuza's recovery.

After walking for quite some time, Haku found the herbs that he was looking for to accelerate Zabuza's recuperation. The boy knelt onto the ground and began to pick a couple of herbs. As Haku was picking the herbs, a bird landed on the shinobi's shoulder, catching his attention. But as soon as he turned his head, the bird flew off into another direction, causing Haku to look into that direction. It was then that he saw Naruto lying on the ground a few meters away with several birds surrounding him in curiosity or pecking him lightly.

The whiskered blond turned his head to Haku's direction in his sleep, allowing the latter to recognize him in an instant. Haku then began to slowly approach the slumbering blonde as he thought about how Naruto was able to notice something odd about them when he "killed" Zabuza. Once he was a few feet away from the whiskered blonde, he began to move his hand towards Naruto's neck, scaring off the birds in the process.

Back at Tazuna's residence, most of the residence are gathered at the dining table while Sakura walked into the room yawning. As Tsunami was getting breakfast on the table, Tazuna noticed that Naruto hasn't entered the room yet,

"Naruto didn't come back again last night?"

"Yeah, even since he heard your story, he's been outdoors night and day training himself to the bone." Jellal answered while Sakura rubbed her eyes of sleep while mumbling how simple the whiskered blonde was.

"I hope he's alright though… A child all alone in the woods at night." Tsunami commented as she placed a plate on the table. Jellal unknowingly smiled at the irony considering he knows that Naruto had spent many years in the outdoors.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Naruto." Kakashi began to reassure the young housewife, "He's a strong kid, so I'm pretty sure a couple of wild animals wouldn't bother him in the slightest."

As the morning conversation kept on going, Sayla noticed Inari sitting next to Sasuke, being his usual quiet self. That was until she looked a bit deeper into his eyes and saw doubt and curiosity build up inside the boy. After observing Inari for a few more seconds, the she-demon averted her gaze from him as she realized he was thinking about Naruto and his reasons for training so vigorously. Sayla then turned her attention to a nearby window and looked outside, wondering how Naruto was faring at this hour.

"Ah Sasuke-kun. Where are you going?"

Everyone turned their attention to the raven-haired boy when Sakura called him out. Sasuke was a few inches from the front doors before opening them and closing them on the way out.

"What was that all about, Masked Guy?" The older shinobi slightly twitched at the _Dragon Slayer's_ words before he calmed himself by letting out a sigh.

* * *

As Haku's hand began to get closer to Naruto's neck, the latter was too exhausted to even notice the former's presence next to him. But at the last second, Haku lightly grabbed Naruto's shoulder and shook the boy to wake him up,

"Hm?" Naruto drowsily mumbled as he opened his eyes to see Haku kneeling down in front of him,

"You'll catch a cold sleeping in a place like this." Haku told Naruto in a calm manner as the latter began to get up.

"W-who are you?" Naruto yawned out while he rubbed his eyes of their tiredness. Once he managed to become more awake, Naruto managed to see Haku more clearly than before. After he asked what was Haku doing here, the latter replied that he was picking herbs for an injured friend.

Naruto then decided to help the boy out (although Naruto thinks Haku is a girl), which Haku thanked him for,

"Is this the plant you're looking for?" Haku nodded once he saw the plant he was picking earlier in Naruto's hand,

"Thank you for helping out. With your assistance, I can go help my friend a lot faster."

"Yeah, no problem!" Naruto cheekily smiled in response, "After all, I'll feel bad if a nice lady like you had to do this kind of thing every morning. It must bother you since you'll lose some hours of sleep."

"Not really, but thanks for your concern. But… May I ask what are you doing at this hour of the morning?"

"Training, dattebayo!" Naruto replied affirmingly as he got back up. Haku looked at the whiskered blonde in surprise as a question began to click in his head,

"If you're out here training, then are a guild wizard?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at the boy's sudden question as the latter continued to speak, "Because from the looks of you, you're not wearing anything that says you're a shinobi of one of the five ninja villages."

"Well… I do know magic if that's what you're asking, but I'm not a guild wizard or a shinobi though. I'm just a wandering kid who's traveling with some friends of mine all around this land."

"Friends… Are they the reason why you train?"

"Well yeah, but besides them, I just want to be stronger. Stronger so that I can not only protect them but I also want to be strong so I can help out anyone who need it."

"I see… That's definitely a good cause then." Haku smiled at the blonde's answer to his question. But the feminine boy was still curious on something else about Naruto. So he asked the latter another question,

"But you look already strong as you are now. So why are you training now?"

Naruto became silent after hearing that question as his facial expression turned from a cheerful smile to a thoughtful frown. Eventually, he regained his goofy smile and answered back with his usual enthusiasm,

"Well, even so, there's something that I need to prove to someone right now. An ideal that no one should ever throw away like trash, dattebayo!"

Haku continued to listen to Naruto's words as he observed the latter for any other signs of deception. A few seconds later, he knew that Naruto wasn't lying at all and once the words Naruto said registered in his head, he began to slightly laugh, catching Naruto's attention,

"Hey, what's so funny?!" Naruto cried out with a mixture of embarrassment and curiosity. Haku eventually stopped laughing and observed the flustered blonde once more,

"Do you have someone that's important to you?" Naruto was about to reply until Haku added in, "Someone that you would do anything to help them in any way you can?"

Naruto tilted his head in confusion as he tried to understand what Haku was trying to imply. While the blonde was lost in his thoughts, Haku was no different as he thought back to a time where he was a street urchin. He remembered that he was always traveling from alleyway to another looking for food to survive. That was until the day he met Zabuza and from there, Haku had found a purpose of his own to fulfill: for Zabuza's sake.

Haku snapped out of his trance and saw that Naruto had stopped thinking of a possible answer to his question. Instead, the blonde was staring at the boy in front of him as he noticed that Haku was in a trance. When the latter snapped out of it, Naruto raised an eyebrow in curiosity at what the feminine boy was thinking about. Haku, once he saw Naruto still keeping his eyes on him, revealed why he asked his recent question just then.

"When a person has someone or something important to protect, that's why people strive to become stronger. Seeing as you have those things yourself, you can understand what I'm trying to say, right?" Haku smiled once he finished his statement. Naruto took in the boy's words and began to comprehend them with his upbringing.

The blonde then realized Haku was right once he thought back to his times with Kurama and Fuu and recently with Wendy, Jellal, and Sayla.

"Yeah!" Naruto replied a second later with his usual smile, "I understand what you're saying."

Haku smiled at the blonde's cheerful answer as he realized for the first time in a long while, he managed to find someone who could understand him. Remembering his purpose for being outside, Haku began to get up as he picked up the basket filled with the medical herbs.

"I know you'll become strong. I hope that we meet again someday." Haku said while Naruto replied back with an enthusiastic "Sure!". As Haku began to walk away from the blonde, he stopped a few feet away from Naruto, making the latter tilt his head in confusion.

"Oh… Also… I'm a boy."

Silence began to take over the atmosphere when Haku made that sudden confession. The aforementioned boy continued his walk while Naruto slowly registered the revelation into his brain. Sadly, once he fully registered the truth, Naruto's jaw comically dropped while his eyes widened in shock.

"_No way!_ _And he was just as pretty as Sayla!_" Naruto mentally thought in astonishment.

After leaving the household to find Naruto, Sasuke began to walk down the pathway towards the spot where Kakashi was training them. While he didn't really care for the extra assistance Naruto and his friends were offering, the young wizard was more intrigued in the whiskered blonde himself. He was just about as reckless as Natsu when they were sparring. However, his sudden intelligence and his strange power-up makes him a formidable foe that no one would expect from someone like Naruto.

While he was thinking to himself, he walked past Haku and sensed something oddly familiar about him. Turning his head back to the feminine boy, Sasuke tried to read the feeling he felt but unfortunately, he couldn't remember what it was. But that didn't meant that Sasuke wasn't going to forget about this feeling anytime soon. So the best thing he could do at the moment was to put aside and find Naruto.

Fortunately, Naruto was still sitting on the ground where he and Haku talked by the time Sasuke had approached him. Unfortunately though, the blonde was still pondering at the fact that Haku was a boy and didn't noticed that Sasuke was in front of him. Once he noticed Sasuke, he raised his head to look at the raven-haired tween as to silently asked why he was here. The two stared at each other in silence while the two were reading each other until Naruto finally broke the silence,

"You're not usually the one to be social so seeing you here alone is a surprise… So what do you want?"

Sasuke remained silent even though the blonde probably figured out what he wanted. Not beating around the bush, Sasuke began to speak as he stared at Naruto with stoic eyes to which Naruto was returning right back,

"One spar. I want to see how strong you really are without any holding back."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at Sasuke's request, considering he knew that the raven-haired boy was probably a loner at first glance. But on the other hand, he was also curious about Sasuke as he too wanted to fight against the tween in front of him. Smirking, Naruto stood back up as Sasuke then charged at the blonde, taking the smirk as a yes to his challenge.

* * *

Their spar went on for at least half the day until Kakashi and the others arrived to their spot. To say they were shocked when they found both Naruto and Sasuke sparring was an understatement. While Natsu was jealous of them having the chance to fighting each other, Jellal and Wendy were more concerned about Naruto's well-being since he looked like he had worked himself to the bone again. After Naruto and Sasuke finished their spar, Kakashi sent them back to Tazuna's house to rest for the remainder of the day. But after they rested for the next day, they left the household again to spar.

"Where exactly is Sasuke-kun? Even since he went to fetch Naruto yesterday, they've been doing nothing but sparring..." Sakura groaned as she rested her head on the table. Since she was still guarding Tazuna at the time, she wasn't aware of the two boys sparring until Natsu grumpily relayed this to her. As Tsunami was getting dinner ready, the remainder of the occupants were sitting around the table.

"Well… I'm sure they must have some kind of reason why they're sparring as of this moment…" Jellal said in order to reassure the pink-haired girl. Sakura turned to Jellal for a second before turning away to think.

"Man… How come they get to spar all day while I'm stuck in here after the sun sets… It's not fair, Masked Guy! I want to keep on fighting like them!" Natsu whined to Kakashi who just sighed exasperatedly at the _Dragon Slayer_'s complaining.

Wendy kept her eyes on Natsu without him noticing that she was staring at him. She knew it was rude to stare at people you didn't really know that much. But ever since she heard him spoke the name Igneel, Wendy thought the name sounded vaguely familiar; almost as if Grandeeney had spoke of it before. She wanted to know more about her fellow _Dragon Slayer_, but every time she tried to speak with him, he always wanted to fight with either Naruto or Sasuke.

Speaking of the two boys, the door to the dining room opened as the aforementioned boys walked into the room, supporting each other as they approached the group at the table.

"You two are finally back, but both of you are a lot dirtier and worn out than yesterday though…" Tazuna commented at the boys' appearance while Kakashi then added in his own opinion,

"But it does seem like the two of you are beginning to get stronger though. So starting tomorrow, I want you two to also protect Tazuna-san as he builds the bridge." Naruto weakly chuckled in diffidence when he heard those words. Sasuke, on the other hand, retained his usual stoic expression but he did slightly sweat-dropped at the blonde's attempt to express at being praised.

Even though no one could really read what was on Sayla's mind, she was more or less relieved that Naruto came back in one piece. As both Naruto and Sasuke began to take their spots at the table, Sayla noticed Inari kept his eyes at the blonde from the other side of the table.

"Hehe… You two are that exhausted, huh?" Tazuna chuckled when Naruto collapsed onto the table, snoring in his arms, "Even though I'm as exhausted as you two are, the bridge is almost complete now so that's something at least... "

Jellal looked at the blonde in amusement while Wendy turned her attention from Natsu and towards Naruto as she pouted at the blonde for overexerting himself again. Inari kept on staring at Naruto in order to understand why the blonde was keen on proving him wrong. But to his discomfort, he still couldn't understand as he could think of the similarities between Naruto and his deceased father figure. In fact, just thinking on how can someone like him is trying to prove something when he doesn't know anything about pain and loss made Inari angry.

"_If you're a man, choose a life of no regrets… For something that is precious to you… No matter how tough, no matter how sad you are, you must try to protect them with your two arms."_

As Inari kept his gaze towards the sleeping blonde, tears were beginning to fall from his eyes as he thought about Kaiza,

"_Don't worry, Inari…"_

Naruto sensed someone's gaze was on him so he woke up and lifted his head slightly and saw Inari lower his head from the blonde. Even though the boy was trying to prevent Naruto from seeing the tears that were dripping from his eyes, the blonde already noticed there was something on the boy's mind,

"What? Is there something wrong, Inari?"

"Why…" Naruto raised an eyebrow at Inari, puzzled at the boy's question. That was until the boy across the table raised his head and gazed at the blonde angrily,

"Why are you guys bothering to try so much?! No matter how hard you train, you're no match against Gatō's men! No matter what glorious claims you make or how hard you work, when you're facing the strong, the weak will only end up getting killed!"

Everyone in the room stared at Inari in shock while a few like Sayla and Sasuke retained their stoic expressions. While the proclamation Inari made had changed the mood, it didn't affect Naruto much but it did made Natsu however angry,

"Oi, teme! What do you know about winning and losing?! You can't just say that the strong's going to win all the time just from one thing you've seen! There are ways that the weak can make a turn around against the strong-"

"Natsu, stop it right now!" Sakura shouted to Natsu as she began to march over to the pink-haired _Dragon Slayer_ to scold him. That was until Naruto began to speak up,

"Natsu has a point, Inari. Sure being strong is one thing, but it doesn't mean that a person's invincible because they're strong. Sometimes, being strong can sometimes be a person's downfall as well." Inari stood up and slammed his hands on the table, catching everyone's attention again,

"How can you can say that for sure?! For all that I know, you could be spouting some nonsense that isn't even true! I hate to be someone like you! You don't know anything about this country yet you're being nosy it's your business when it's not!" This had gotten Wendy upset at Inari as he insulted the boy that had helped her and Jellal. The very boy that was starting to become a sibling-like figure in her eyes. But before she could speak her mind, Inari continued his angry tantrum at the blonde in front of him,

"What the hell do you know about me?! What is it that you can understand about me?! You're completely different from me! Always clowning around and smiling like you have no care in the world," Naruto lowered his head a little as Sayla noticed the blonde's gaze darkened beneath his bangs,

"You don't know anything about how hard life can be!"

"... So you're saying that it's alright for you to pose as the star of a tragedy and cry your eyes out all day and night?"

Everyone but Jellal, Wendy, Sayla, and Kakashi stared in absolute shock at the usually cheerful blonde who just spoke in a dark and serious monotone. Even Sasuke was slightly surprised at the blonde's sudden change in personality.

"If that's the case… Then you can just stay here and keep on crying, **you sissy**!"

To say that anyone was still shocked at Naruto right now was an understatement. Most of the occupants, especially Inari, were utterly gobsmacked at the harsh statement that Naruto had suddenly spoke to the boy. Having said enough as it is, Naruto got up and began to walk outside of the room,

"Naruto! Get back here right now!" Sakura said in a reprimanding manner as she recovered from her state of shock. But the blonde ignored her as he walked out of the dining room, closing the door behind him. As Wendy watched Naruto leave the room with concerned eyes, Jellal was thinking about what was it that Inari had said that made Naruto suddenly peeved at the younger boy.

"How can you guys just remained quiet while that idiot spewed those harsh words?! Aren't you guys his friends or not?!" Jellal, along with Wendy and Sayla, heard Sakura spoke and turned their attention towards the pink-haired girl. Natsu soon recovered from his own stupor and could only stared at the three in pity as they were being yelled at by Sakura.

Kakashi watched this happen as he turned to Inari who was still crying and then at the door Naruto closed behind him. He might've not have accomplished the mission that was tasked to him years ago but even so, Kakashi knew exactly what was going in the blonde's mind at this moment.

After dinner was served to ease the tense atmosphere of the room, everyone headed into their rooms for the night. But for Inari though, he sat at the dock of the house, looking down at the water beneath him in thought. Naruto's words had affected him greatly as he was starting to reconsider saying those terrible things to him. Especially since that was the first time that he saw Naruto have that kind of expression on his face. Unknowingly to him, someone had just arrive and is a few inches behind him.

"Is it alright if I join you?"

Inari turned around and saw that Kakashi was the person who approached him. Even though the boy didn't say anything, the shinobi managed to read what was on Inari's mind. Taking a seat next to Inari, Kakashi looked up to the sky to gather his thoughts while Inari brought his knees closer to his chest.

While the masked shinobi was still gathering his thoughts, Sayla was walking out of the bathroom with the large cloth in tow. Even though she tried to refuse the offer of a bath from Tsunami, with Wendy and Naruto's persuasion, she reluctantly accepted. It was strange at first, considering that she could hardly wash herself due to her blood but eventually, bathing actually felt nice for her as Sayla felt clean for the first time in a while. As the she-demon tied the cloth around her moist hair, she heard Kakashi began to speak to Inari, causing Sayla to stop and listen,

"I know Naruto had said some harsh things but he doesn't mean anything by it. He can be rather rash though when he doesn't use his head first…"

Inari remained silent at Kakashi's attempt to comfort the boy from the events a few hours ago. The shinobi was silently debating if he should tell Inari the real reason why Naruto had said to the boy. But Kakashi felt Sayla's presence nearby some time ago and figured that she was still there. Taking that in, the older shinobi then made his decision,

"Tazuna-san had told us about your dad… I think anyone would be inspired by your father for his bravery, especially Naruto… But you see, just like you, Naruto grew up without a father."

Inari became shocked at the sudden revelation of the whiskered blonde he recently disliked. Since the boy was still silent from the proclamation, Kakashi continued to explain about Naruto's actions,

"And it's not just that… Besides his father, Naruto actually doesn't know either of his parents. He spent most of his life alone as an orphan with his original home destroyed by a catastrophe..."

"But from what I've seen of him, he had this look that says he never cried or complained. He just continued to keep moving forward; almost like he has some kind of mantra to follow so that he doesn't fall behind anyone.."

From hearing what Kakashi thought about the blonde, Inari was beginning to think that he was indeed wrong about the blonde. It almost made him think about what his step-father would've done as well if he was still around.

"I'm sure he cried at least once in his life but by then, he probably got sick of crying. He knows what it means to be strong just your father… So don't take Naruto for granted, because I'm sure he understands your feelings better than anyone."

Inari stared at the older man astoundingly as the latter was smiling in reassurance behind his mask. Sayla, on the other hand, looked at the wooden floor while she took in every detail of Kakashi's revelation of Naruto. Little by little, she was beginning to understand why Naruto helped her back then. It also help her realized why Naruto insisted on helping her blended in with humans. Naruto understood the feeling of being alone all too well; so he can't help but barge into other people's predicaments, if it means he can help them from their suffering.

When Kakashi had stopped speaking, Sayla decided to return to Naruto and the others. Unfortunately, her mind was still pondering about Naruto's past that she wasn't paying attention to the figure walking across from her. Within a few seconds, the she-demon bumped head-on with the person, making them back away from each other painfully. Both of them clutched their heads while the cloth tied around Sayla's head began to unravel and fell onto the ground unnoticed.

"Urgh…." The person in front of Sayla cringed while they rubbed their forehead to soothe the pain, "You might want to watch where you're going there! Or rather, you need to get your head out of the-"

Sayla heard the person stopped talking as the former looked up and saw a shocked Sakura in front of her. Noticing the shocked expression, the she-demon noticed something white down at her feet and saw that it was the cloth that was supposed to be tied around her head. Upon seeing the cloth on the floor, Sayla realized Sakura is seeing the rest of her concealed head.

"You-You have horns... and that tattoo on your forehead…. You're a demon, aren't you?!" Sakura said calmly but then shouted the last bit upon rationalizing her thoughts. Sayla continued to emotionlessly gaze at the shocked Sakura who continued to ramble on about something,

"Th-That… _This_ explains why you always had that ridiculous cloth wrapped around your head!" Sakura chastised as she pointed to the cloth on the floor in disdain, "You were a demon this entire time and they never bothered to reveal anything! I knew there was something fishy about you and the others the moment I saw you! Especially Naruto… He was defending your identity this entire time so that mean he's a demon too!"

Sayla felt something well up in her eyes when the girl in front of her began to accuse Naruto of being something he wasn't. She didn't know why she was feeling like this but either way, she knew one thing. The she-demon was beginning to feel anger and betrayal emitting from Sakura's words; anger that she haven't felt ever since she left Suisen. Fortunately, the tension that was starting to accumulate faded down when a stoic voice spoke,

"Sakura, that's enough. Sayla isn't going to cause any trouble here."

The girls turned around and saw Kakashi walking towards them as Sakura quieted down from her tantrum. He then noticed the cloth near Sayla's foot and picked it up, much to Sakura's surprise,

"But Kakashi-sensei, she's a-"

"I know, Sakura. But like I said before, she isn't here to cause harm to anyone." Kakashi gave the cloth to Sayla who took it back without a word, "Why don't you go back to Naruto and the others? I'm sure they'll be worried about where you are when they wake up, especially Naruto…"

Sayla saw the hidden smile from Kakashi and lowered her gaze to the floor while nodding slowly in response. Not bothering to tie the cloth back on her head, the she-demon walked past the flabbergasted Sakura and headed back towards the room she was occupying in. As Sayla went around the corner, Sakura turned towards the older shinobi as she looked at him with questioning eyes,

"Why Kakashi-sensei? For all we know, she can possibly kill everyone in the household without you noticing. And what makes it worse is that Naruto and the other two knew about it and hid her secret from us. So why did you just let her go?"

The masked shinobi closed his eye while he took a deep breath in order to rationalize his thoughts at the moment. Eventually, he reopened his eye as he stared at Sakura with understanding eyes,

"I know that some people back at Magnolia had mentioned their bad experiences with demons. But can you really just categorize all demons as savage and suspicious when some humans aren't that much different?" Just as Sakura was about to respond to the masked shinobi's question, Kakashi continued to speak without any more interruptions,

"Naruto knew that Sayla's a demon and hid her identity, that's true. But he has seen the pain and suffering she endured just from being categorized blindly. So he did the one thing that a normal human probably wouldn't do: he became her friend and protected her when she was in danger. So can you really call Naruto a demon because he was just following what he believes in?"

After hearing Kakashi's words and silently taking in, the anger that was building up in Sakura was slowly receding. Seeing that Sakura has calmed down, Kakashi nodded in relief and started to walk towards the room his group was staying at. Noticing the masked shinobi heading towards their room, Sakura began to follow him while deciding that she'll talk to Sayla when their mission has been completed.

In another room, Jellal is sitting on one side of the room watching over a sleeping Wendy. He turned his gaze from her to Naruto who's slouching against the wall as he sat with his right arm on his leg while leaning his head onto his hand. The blue-haired tween noticed that Naruto still had that serious gaze on his face, making the former wonder if the blonde was still irritated from dinner.

"Naruto… Please don't tell me that you're still angry at Inari… Because I'm sure Sakura already said it, but he's just a kid that's dealing with loss. Surely you can-"

"I know, Jellal. But that's not what I'm thinking about." The tattoo-eyed boy looked at Naruto with a questioning look as the latter lifted his head from his hand, "It's just… I was never one to muse over about the past but having Inari yell out like that… Sometimes I can't help but think about where I really came from.. and who was my father."

"Who your father was? Does that mean you know your mother?"

Naruto didn't exactly answer quickly as Jellal had thought. But the blonde did nod his head though, giving Jellal a response to his question. Just as he was about to ask for her identity, the shōgi doors to their room opened, revealing Sayla to be responsible for opened the doors.

"S-Sayla? How did you enjoy your bath…." Naruto asked jovially until he noticed the she-demon's gaze was looking at the floor, keeping her eyes covered in shadows. The blonde then saw that the cloth he wrapped around her head was in her hand and it was hard to notice but he saw Sayla beginning to tremble. Instantly, the blonde got up from his spot against the wall and started to walk towards Sayla, "Sayla… Is there something wrong-"

As the blonde took two steps towards Sayla, his question abruptly came to a halt as the she-demon approached the whiskered tween and placed her forehead against the base of his neck. She then gripped his shoulders while Naruto stood there in shock at the she-demon's behavior. Feeling Sayla slightly shake as she quietly sob, the blonde turned his head towards Jellal, silently asking for advice.

Although the blue-haired male would've smirked at the blonde's predicament, but seeing how the current situation, this wasn't time for jokes. Not wanting to wake Wendy up from the commotion, Jellal motioned his arms in a hugging gesture while quietly mouthing to Naruto to comfort her. Naruto then slowly but gently wrapped his arms around Sayla who just tightened her grip on the blonde as he slowly brushed her hair to comfort her. The whiskered blonde kept on caressing her hair in reassurance while the she-demon was letting out all of the dormant sadness she had now that she knew something about her savior and remembering her confrontation with Sakura.

After a few more minutes, Sayla eventually stopped shaking; indicating that she had stopped crying. Naruto slightly pulled away from her as he noticed that she was starting to pass out. Wiping away any remnants of any tears from her puffy eyes, Naruto then lightly placed his hands underneath her arms so he could guide her to an empty futon. Jellal got up and helped Naruto by picking up the sheets as the blonde guided Sayla to the futon and helped her lie down. Jellal placed the sheets over Sayla and saw that the she-demon had passed out, lightly breathing after sobbing for a while.

"What could have happened to make her like this?" Jellal turned his head towards the blonde when he spoke while keeping his gaze on the sleeping girl. Not knowing what to say at the moment, the blue-haired boy could only place a hand on the blonde's shoulder,

"I don't know, Naruto. I don't know…"

* * *

"Well then, we will be heading off now." Kakashi bowed slightly to Tsunami before standing back up a second later. Sakura and Sasuke stood on both sides of Tazuna, waiting for Kakashi to finish while Natsu was looking at the sea in boredom.

"Alright, but are you sure you don't want to wake Naruto-kun up? After all, he looked so forward to helping you protect my father…"

"It's fine; besides, he might not have looked it but Naruto really pushed his body with the constant all-nighters along with Sasuke sparring with him. I don't think he could really do much without exerting any more energy. But other than that, I already asked his friends to keep an eye on him should he try to do anything reckless..."

"Okay then. Let's go then, minna." Tazuna said as he began to head towards the construction site with the others following close to him.

At the construction site, below the bridge itself, a small rowboat floated towards the bottom of the incomplete bridge. Standing in the rowboat is none other than a rejuvenated Zabuza with Haku in his Hunter-nin attire. Both are staring at the bridge in anticipation as the boat floated closer to their destination,

"_Zabuza. Is the ambush of yours ready yet?_" Gatō spoke through the portable radio which was on the base of the boat near Zabuza's foot, "_Oi Zabuza?! Are you even listening? Oi, respond right now-_"

"Shall we go, Haku?" Zabuza kept his gaze onto the incomplete bridge as Haku took out his mask from his kimono. He then put the mask on his face as he slightly nodded in response to Zabuza's question,

"Yes, it's time…"

Meanwhile back at Tazuna's house, Tsunami was knitting with Inari and Wendy assisting her next to her. Although things in the house were peaceful at the moment, all things were meant to be interrupted eventually,

"AHHHH! WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY LEFT ALREADY?!"

Wendy tensed up in shock while Tsunami stopped knitting as she looked towards the opened gap when Jellal spoke,

"Naruto, calm down! Kakashi-san told me that you should rest some more! I know we agreed to help them with their mission but with you almost tuckered out-"

Naruto then suddenly peeked into the room as he looked all over the room for any traces of Kakashi's group. Tsunami looked at Naruto in confusion as he scanned the room while Wendy blushed in embarrassment at Naruto's actions,

"Oh Naruto… You woke up already?" Her question came unanswered as Naruto sprinted out of the room, while blocking out Tsunami's advice to rest. Fortunately, Jellal wasn't having none of Naruto's usual antics as he casted his _Sleep Magic (Nemuri no Mahō)_ on the blonde, making him fall face-flat onto the floor.

"For crying out loud, Naruto, you really should rest when you're suppose to. We all know you want to help, but at this rate, you're just wore yourself out before you get the chance…"

Tsunami along with Wendy and Inari walked out of the living room and saw Jellal kneeling next to a sleeping Naruto with his staff in hand.

"Oh my goodness, is it alright to knock him out like that?" Tsunami looked at the sleeping Naruto in concern. Jellal hesitantly chuckled as he place the staff back into the strap that usually holds it,

"Daijoubou… If anything else, he's going to be really mad once I release the spell on him…"

Mostly everyone except Inari slightly laughed at Jellal's attempt to describe the 'worst' case scenario when Naruto woke up. As everyone was still laughing, they didn't hear the footsteps that was coming closer to them until Inari said something,

"You're awake…." This gathered everyone's attention as they turned their gazes towards Sayla who looked fine despite her little episode the previous night. Wendy walked up to the she-demon with her usual smile on her face,

"Oyahō, Sayla-san. Did you sleep well?" Sayla stared at the little girl for a few seconds before nodding her head slightly. Wendy seemed delighted to see Sayla's response as she kept on bobbing up and down happily. While this was occurring, Inari headed straight towards the bathroom while taking a slight glance at the sleeping Naruto while doing so.

"Well then, I might as well as finish washing the dishes. Because I'm pretty sure that Naruto would want something to eat if he needs to head out to the others." Wendy turned towards Tsunami and smiled while Jellal picked up Naruto and lifted one arm onto his shoulder,

"I'll take Naruto back to bed now. If you need anything, just let us know." The housewife nodded in gratitude while Jellal carried Naruto back to the room they were staying in. As Wendy and Tsunami headed towards the kitchen, Sayla turned towards the direction Jellal was heading when she felt a small tinge of murderous intent nearby. She looked towards the door for a brief second but then decided to head towards their room, ignoring the ominous feeling getting stronger for some reason.

Back with Kakashi's group, the group were just about to arrive at the construction site when Kakashi felt a sudden change in the atmosphere. He couldn't put his finger onto it yet but for some reason, the masked shinobi knew that something was about to occur at the bridge. When they finally arrived at the construction site, all of them except for Kakashi and Sasuke were utterly shocked at the sight in front of them.

"Wha-What is all of this?!"

In front of them, all of the construction workers were lying on the ground, beaten to a pulp with tools scattered all over. Tazuna wasted no time in running towards the closest worker nearby and kneeled next to him,

"Wh-What happened here?!" Tazuna asked while the worker coughed in pain while Kakashi observed the surroundings closely as the worker looked up at Tazuna while the latter held him,

"A monster… did this…" The worker managed to wheeze before passing out from his wounds. While Kakashi was trying to look for something out of the ordinary, Natsu managed to sniff something out of the ordinary and recognized it instantly,

"Masked Guy, the mummy man is here!" This got Sakura and Sasuke into defensive stances as mist began to surround the area,

"Don't let your guards down! As Natsu stated already, the enemy's here!"

The mist began to get thicker and thicker while Kakashi lifted a hand in front of him and made a single hand sign in preparation for any incoming attacks. He squinted his eyes upon seeing something move in the midst of the mist,

"_Long time no see, Kakashi Hatake…_"

Upon hearing the familiar voice, the tweens in the group began to tense up, especially Sasuke and Natsu who briefly fought the voice before. Even though they couldn't see it, Zabuza was amused at the trembling he felt from the mist he created,

"_And it seems like you still have those brats with you. Especially those two… I can see them trembling... The poor fools.._"

In an instance, much to the group's surprise, a dozen of Zabuzas suddenly appeared all around them. Each of them was crouching with their own giant cleavers leaning over their shoulders. This would probably scare any ordinary person but for Sasuke and Natsu; things were about to proceed the exact opposite that anyone would think at the time.

"I'm not shaking from fear," This had caught the attention of the clones as they raised an eyebrow at the raven-haired tween's proclaimation, "I'm shaking from excitement."

"Do it Sasuke, Natsu." Kakashi smiled as the two began to move, surprising the clones even more.

As the clones began to lift their swords while getting up, Sasuke and Natsu beat them to attacking as they sliced and punched through each one at a breakneck pace. Once the last clones were defeated, all that remained from Sasuke and Natsu's onslaught was a giant splash of water falling all around the group, creating a ring-shaped puddle in the process. Kakashi retained his hidden smile while Tazuna and Sakura were amazed at how much progress the two had went through to get this stronger. Unfortunately, they weren't the only ones impressed with Natsu and Sasuke,

"Hmm… They managed to get through my _Water Clones (Mizu Bunshin)_... Those two have grown from our last encounter."

Everyone turned their attention back at front as through the head of the mist, Zabuza and Haku emerged from the mist, standing a few meters away from the group,

"It appears that you gotten yourself two rivals to deal with… Eh Haku?" Zabuza commented with interest hidden in his voice. Haku slightly nodded his head in response as he began to observe the two that defeated Zabuza's clone really quickly,

"So it seems…"

* * *

_End of Chapter_

***sighs* I don't even know why I kept making promises when all of a sudden, I break them and delay them. I don't mean to keep this story in the dark, but with the usual problems I mentioned in the previous chapters, you'll understand why. And to make matter worse, I start university again by the end of August. So with that in mind, I really got to step up my game and wrap up Part 1 of this story with a bang before I head out to start my 3rd year in university. Once again, I'm extremely SORRY for updating this late when I made a objective date for this chapter to be done. So with that in mind, I'll try not to make any promises that I can't keep and update when I finish.**

_**Thank for reading and please leave a review!**_


	14. Resolved Awakenings

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 13: Resolved Awakenings

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Naruto. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima while Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

_September X777_,

As the mist began to fade just a little, Kakashi and the others see Zabuza and Haku not too far from them. Upon seeing them, everyone kept their eyes on the duo, analyzing any movement they would make. But Kakashi had other thoughts though as he realized that his hunches and suspicions about Zabuza's 'death' were right on the mark,

"Well, well. It would seem like my thoughts about your death were right…" Natsu stared at the masked boy in confusion as Kakashi pointed this out. Sakura, however, pointed at Haku as she started to realize the same thing,

"Kakashi-sensei, it's the Hunter-Nin from before! Does this mean-"

"Yeah… Those two.. They've been working together this entire time, so it's obviously at this point that we have to fight both of them."

"Oh! It _is_ that masked kid from back then!" Sakura and Kakashi (to an extent) sweatdropped at Natsu's slow memory. The pink-haired _Dragon Slayer_ cracked his knuckles as his eyes squinted to an angry scowl, "Now that he's the enemy, I can finally punch his face in for tricking us like that-"

Unfortunately, Sasuke stepped forward as he held his arm in front of the others, catching their complete attention,

"No, I'll fight him. None of you interfere, this is something I have to do because people like _them_, I hate the most in this world."

"Oi, I just said I was going to punch-"

"Sasuke-kun, you're definitely so awesome!" Sakura interrupted Natsu's statement while Kakashi unnoticably sweatdropped at the female mage's infatuation,

"_She's way too hung up on him… I'm starting to wonder how does Makarov-dono handle it…_"

"Those two are definitely impressive, especially the raven-haired one… They took out the _Water Clones (Mizu Bunshin)_, even though the clones only hold 1/10th the strength of the original." Haku complimented while he started to slowly walk towards the group in front of them,

"Even so, we still have the advantage here, Haku... Now go!" Haku instantly replied to Zabuza's command by quickly disappearing from the group's eye. Following this, Sasuke began to run forward until Haku reappeared in front of him, catching him off-guard.

The masked boy then took out a kunai and lunged it forward to stab Sasuke. The latter dodged it and took out his own kunai and parried a second swipe from Haku. They exchanged several swipes at each other but neither could land a cut at all. Sasuke then tried another swipe from below but Haku responded in an inhuman speed and parried Sasuke's strike. The masked boy kicks him back immediately, shocking both Sasuke and his group with his speed,

"_This guy… His speed is almost outrageous… It's like combining both Naruto and_ _Natsu's speed into one body…_" Sasuke thought to himself as he got back up from Haku's attack. The masked boy stared right back at Sasuke while the latter got himself into a stance once more,

"_Even so, I refuse to die right here and now. Not when I haven't found them yet…_"

* * *

"Inari, could you help me and Wendy with the dishes?"

"Alright, Mom. But I'm in the bathroom right now."

Jellal chuckled in amusement as he heard both mother and child communicating just then. There wasn't much he could do while he made sure Naruto rested like Kakashi wanted to. Although, the tattooed boy was pretty sure that Kakashi didn't meant using _Sleep Magic (Nemuri no Maho)_ on the poor tween. Since it _was_ Naruto after all, anyone would've taken desperate measures to get him to comply. While Jellal leaned on the wall, listening to every noise emitting in the house, he heard the door to their room open and saw Sayla entering as she closed the door behind her.

"You didn't stay down there to help?" Sayla remained quiet before she tilted her head and raised an eyebrow in a questioning manner,

"I'm not one to exactly talk, huh… Considering I'm just sitting here, making sure Naruto gets his rest. So besides that… Can you talk about what happened last night? It's fine if you don't want to talk about it but… Talking about it might relieves some of your inner turmoil, you know..."

The she-demon kept her gaze on the blue-haired boy sitting in front of her. Despite the offer making sense, Sayla couldn't confine the previous night's events to Jellal. Sayla knows he listens just like Naruto but for her, it just wasn't the same as talking with the whiskered blonde. But just as she was about to decline the boy's offer, she felt the strange feeling from earlier again and instinctively turned back to the door,

"Sayla? What's wrong-" Multiple loud swishes interrupted Jellal's question as a familiar scream caught his attention a moment later, "Wendy!"

Jellal's sudden change of attention caused his spell on Naruto to break, allowing the blonde to slowly wake up. But unfortunately, the blonde didn't get a chance to become fully awake as Jellal lifted one of his arms over his shoulder and dragged the blonde out the room,

"What in the- Jellal! Why did you put me under your sleeping spell!? And why are you dragging me down the-"

"Not the time right now! We have to help Wendy and Tsunami-san!"

Meanwhile, Gatō's two bodyguards entered the household through the remains of the sliced-up door. As the larger man sheathed his katana, the shorter one began to approach Tsunami who was hiding Wendy behind her,

"Are you Tazuna's daughter? Our apologizes, but I'm afraid you'll be coming with us."

As both men are about to get closer to Tsunami, the older women felt Wendy escape from her grip and ran in front of her with both arms out to protect Tsunami,

"B-Back away now!" The two men were shocked at Wendy's sudden exclamation but the larger man found this amusing however,

"Well would you look at that? A tiny shrimp thinks she can be brave just like that?" The older man lifted his left leg over the table, catching the little girl's attention. He smirked manically as he stamped the table to pieces, scaring Wendy as Tsunami kneeled to Wendy's height and wrapped her arms around her protectively,

"Now… Are you going to come along quietly or not?" The shorter man asked calmly while his partner retained his composure after his act. While they kept their attention on Tsunami and Wendy, the occupants of the room didn't notice Inari coming down the stairs after he heard Wendy scream. Once he made his way to the entrance to the dining room and kitchen, he found his mother on the floor with Wendy in her arms,

"Mother!" The two men turned their gazes towards Inari who flinched from the intimidating looks in their eyes,

"What, kid?"

"Inari, don't come any closer! Run upstairs and get Jellal-kun!" The men turned to the woman upon hearing that there were others in the household before turning around to Inari,

"Well then, shall we just take the kids along with the woman too, Zōri?" The taller one asked his partner while the latter shook his head no,

"We only need one hostage, Waraji… And it'll be troublesome if the brat gets the other occupants though…"

Inari froze in fear as the men kept their gaze onto him. He wanted to obey his mother and get Jellal to wake up Naruto from their room, but he felt his entire body tense up in fear, preventing him from moving at all. This fear worsen even more when he saw Wariji slowly unsheathe his katana,

"Then... Should I kill him before he calls for help?"

"WAIT!" The men and Inari turned their attention towards Tsunami who loosened her hold on Wendy and lifted her gaze towards the intruders,

"If you try to touch that child along with the others in this house… Then I will bite my tongue and kill myself." Wariji stopped pulling his sword out of his sheath while Zōri looked at the woman anxiously for any incoming movement from her.

Inari began crying upon hearing his mother's proclamation and shaking even more out of fear. Wendy looked at the older woman and was about to tell her to stop when she spoke once more,

"You want a hostage, right? Then just take me and leave the kids alone."

"... Alright fine. You two should be thanking her right now for your safety." Zōri agreed while Wariji sheathed his katana and placed it back into his sash,

"Damn, I wanted to cut something…" Tsunami lets go of Wendy as the shorter man approached them and grabbed the older woman by the arm while he chastised his partner. They left the house right after tying the housewife with ropes while Wendy ran up to the shattered pieces of the door before turning to Inari. The boy had fallen to his knees, crying, while gripping the corner of the wall tightly.

"_Mom… I'm sorry…. I'm so sorry…_" The boy thought to himself miserably as he continued to cry to himself, "_I couldn't protect you because of how weak I am… I just don't want to die… I'm too scared…_"

Wendy noticed the distress and conflict Inari was going through and began walking towards the boy. Inari didn't noticed Wendy was approaching him with his sobbing until a loud thud was heard behind them. They both turned towards the source of the commotion and saw Jellal and Naruto lying on the floor face-flat while Sayla appeared behind them. While Wendy had run up towards the two, Inari remembered the words the blonde said to him once he laid his eyes on Naruto,

"_So you're saying that it's alright for you to pose as the star of a tragedy and cry your eyes out all day and night?_"

Inari still felt tears drip down his face but even though he still felt afraid, he felt a strong and determined feeling build up inside. Especially since he was beginning to think about what he has been told his entire life up to now.

"_If that's the case… Then you can just stay here and keep on crying, __**you sissy**__!_"

"_But from what I've seen of him, he had this look that says he never cried or complained._"

As the words kept flashing through his head, he started to think about his mother's smile and the words that his step-father had told him when they first met,

"_If you're a man, choose a life of no regrets… For something that is precious to you… No matter how tough, no matter how sad you are, you must try to protect them with your two arms. And if you managed to do just that, even at the cost of your own life, the proof of a man's life will always remain." _

Finally realizing what Kaiza was talking about on that day, Inari began to wipe away the remaining teardrops in his eyes. He now knew what real courage was now and decided like everyone who's still fighting for this country's freedom, it was time for him to stop crying. Rather, it was time for him to make a stand for the life he want to forge. Taking one last look at the recovering blonde, Inari took off towards the remains of the doorway, catching the attention of the others,

"I-Inari-san?!"

As he ran out of the house, he began to remember once more about the determination everyone he had met, including his grandfather and mother, had shown in their time together. Especially when he felt inferior to them since he had only been moping all this time,

"_They're incredible… Everyone…. Hahaue… Ōji-chan… Will I… Will I be able to become strong just like them? Tou-chan?!_"

Inari kept on running regardless of how tired he was in order to finally stand up for himself like Kaiza told him once before. He spotted his mother and the swordsman that broke into their home not too far away. The boy couldn't hear what the larger man was talking about, but he was only focusing on one thing: rescuing his mother.

"WAIT!"

The three stopped walking as the swordsmen turned around and spotted Inari standing a meter away. The boy was panting from running but this wouldn't deter him from his objective whatsoever. Tsunami, on the other hand, heard the boy's voice and turned around to look at him with worried eyes,

"Inari?! You shouldn't be here!"

"Well now, it's the kid…" Wariji stated in amusement at how stupid the kid was, considering he could cut the boy into pieces if he wanted.

"Get…" The two men and housewife stared at Inari curiously once he began to speak, "Get away from my mom!"

The boy, to Tsunami's horror, began to charge towards the men regardless of being weaponless at the moment. Zōri and Wariji looked on at the boy's actions enthusiastically (mostly Wariji) as they grabbed ahold of their katanas.

"Cut him."

"Sure."

The swordsmen pulled out their katanas as Inari kept on running towards them while Tsunami could only look at the incoming events in horror. Especially when the two were just a few inches away from cutting Inari to pieces,

"INARI!" Tsunami cried out distressingly as the men were about to cut the boy down.

That was until, the two suddenly felt drowsy, making them stop in their tracks as a yellow and blue blur barreled through them. The men recovered from whatever shoved them aside after the fatigue they were feeling faded away,

"What in the- What just happened?! Why couldn't we cut the brat?!"

"Sorry for being late to the party, Inari." The swordsmen became tense at hearing the voice speak behind them. Noticing that their hostage wasn't near them anymore, they slowly turned around to find her lying on the port as she and Inari were rescued by Naruto and Jellal,

"But you know, a hero usually shows up at the last second!" Naruto said cheerfully while Jellal was slightly laughing silently at Naruto's words,

"Says the _hero_ who was knocked out easily with my _Sleep Magic (Nemuri no Maho)_." Naruto got ticked off at Jellal's side comment and turned his attention towards the tattoo-eyed boy. Inari was shocked and amazed at how they managed to get here so quickly and without being noticed as well.

"Well, well, well… Looks like Tazuna really did hire another bunch of brats to be his escorts."

"Don't get carried away, Wariji. They seem to be capable wizards just from looking at their posture…" Zōri bluntly warned his partner as they grabbed their katanas once more.

"You did a great job, Inari. Thanks to you, we were able to rescue your mom from them." The men began to run towards the group as Naruto and Jellal eyed the swordsmen carefully. Jellal took out his staff as Inari looked on at the two boys staring down the incoming swordsmen.

"Are you guys going to be alright?!" Inari asked in concern while their attention was focused more on what was in front of them. Naruto smirked as he watched the swordsmen approach while adjusting his stance,

"Daijoubou, we'll be fine." Naruto said confidently as Jellal shot multiple beams towards Zōri and Wariji,

"Like those will work against us!" Wariji taunted as he and Zōri pulled out their katanas and cut apart the beams. The scattered remnants of Jellal's spell poofed behind the two as they kept on charging towards the group. But what caught them slightly off guard was the fact that Naruto's smirk grew even wider than before.

"Heh, bakas." Without the two men noticing, two _Shadow Clones_ appeared from the smoke of Jellal's spell and kicked them on the head. Blood spewed from their mouths as they fell onto the port, losing consciousness in the process. Inari stared at the scene in shock and amazement at how easily Naruto and Jellal defeated the two men. The clones disappeared in a puff of smoke as Sayla and Wendy walked out of the smoke, the latter running up to the two to check for any injuries.

"Inari… About yesterday," Inari turned his gaze towards Naruto who was rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. Jellal and the others, especially Sayla, watched the blonde as he walked up to Inari and scuffled his head,

"I'm sorry. You're definitely not a sissy, not after what you did. You acted on your own instincts, your own choices… By risking your own life to save your mother, you've just proven that you're strong!" Naruto exclaimed with a gleamed expression as he lifted his hand off of Inari's head. Inari slowly took in Naruto's words as he realized the tween he loathed over the past few days just called strong. Something that didn't define him at all but hearing those words from Naruto, it filled Inari with an overwhelming feeling. A feeling that was starting to make the young boy tear up.

"Damn it…" Naruto raised an eyebrow while Wendy and Sayla watched Inari rubbing his eyes of any tears that were beginning to fall down his cheek,

"I promised myself that I wouldn't cry anymore… I vowed to never become a crybaby again, but… You're going to make fun of me again because I'm crying."

The girls expectantly looked at Naruto who had his bangs covering his eyes. Once Jellal held Tsunami properly, he also noticed Naruto standing still for a brief moment, wondering if the blonde was going to do anything rash. The air remained silent for a few more seconds before Naruto broke the silence by speaking in a calm voice,

"What are you talking about?" Inari stopped rubbing his eyes as he stared at the whiskered blonde in shock. Naruto gazed down at the boy in front of him as he reminisced about his talk with Kurama four years ago,

"_I'm sure that she loved you, gaki,_" _Kurama spoke slowly so that he could collect his thoughts before causing the boy to fall onto the path of power most humans would take, "But the reason why she wasn't able to stay with you is entirely Acnologia's doing."_

"_You should know what happened after that but the main point is that they may not be here now but they'll always love you, no matter what. And if you ever feel like that you're alone, just remember that they'll always be in your heart to lend you their support, as would I."_

Naruto took in a deep breath as he lifted his head up and wrapped his arms behind his head. Inari and everyone else paid close attention to the whiskered blonde as he showed a wide cheeky smile,

"I know that I called you a sissy for crying but you know… It's okay to cry… when you're happy!"

Naruto kept on smiling for Inari and the others as the younger boy stared at the blonde in amazement and shock. Eventually, Inari began to wipe the extra tears and snot from his face as Naruto turned around.

"Well then… Considering that these guys attacked here, then that means that Kakashi and the others are in danger at this moment. Right Jellal?" Jellal stared at the blonde's eyes and saw the decision that Naruto had made at the moment. Seeing that Naruto wasn't going to rest any time soon, Jellal nodded his head slowly in confirmation.

"Right then… Jellal, Sayla, and Wendy… I can count on you guys to help Inari keep guard here right?" Jellal and Sayla looked at Naruto puzzlingly as Inari finished wiping his tears, realizing what Naruto was trying to imply,

"Yup… You can count on me to protect my mom!" Inari responded with a resolute tone in his voice.

Jellal sighed reluctantly but nodded nevertheless. Wendy curled her hands and raised them over her chest as she stared at Naruto slightly confident at accepting his request. Sayla stoically stared at the blonde as she wanted to talk to Naruto about his past but she knew that this wasn't the right time for that. So she slowly nodded as Naruto smiled and began running towards the construction site,

"Man, it sure is tough being a hero!" Naruto exclaimed as Inari began to chuckle at Naruto's statement and raised his curled hand in response,

"It sure is!" Inari exclaimed happily as Jellal and Wendy smiled at Inari's newfound confidence while Naruto began to ran out of their sight, ready to help out Kakashi's group.

* * *

Silence filled the atmosphere in the mist-filled bridge as the only noise that could be heard was the slight breathing from some of the occupants. Eventually, that silence was thwarted with Sasuke and Haku running towards each other with kunais in hand. The two exchanged blows but neither could actually land a wound on each other.

"_So the brat could actually keep up with Haku at this speed…_" Zabuza thought to himself while Kakashi too was observing the two clashing with each other. Realizing that the swordsman might be up to something, the masked shinobi began to head over to the Kirikagure shinobi,

"Sakura, Natsu! Step in front of Tazuna-san and don't leave his side! We'll leave the boy entirely up to Sasuke!"

"Understood, Kakashi-sensei!" Sakura affirmed while Natsu grumbled about not being to join in the fight.

The two tweens kept on pressing the edges of their kunais, trying to cut down the opponent in front. As they met for another clash, Haku began to speak to Sasuke while retaining the grip on his kunai,

"I don't want to kill you… But you won't just stand down, will you?"

"You honestly think I would be foolish to back down now? Don't be naïve." The raven-haired boy clarified to the masked Haku.

"I see… But you won't be able to keep up with my speed the next time. In addition, I already have two advantages." Haku could see that Sasuke is looking at him in confusion so the former decided to clarified his explanation, "The first is the water on the ground. The second is that I've occupied one of your arms. You won't be able to escape from my next attacks."

Once Sasuke realized that Haku was right about his deduction, the masked boy suddenly makes several hand signs all with one hand.

"_What in the- He's making hand signs with one hand!? That's impossible!" _Sasuke thought to himself in shock,

"_With one hand_, _I never seen something like that before…"_ Kakashi rationalized in his head as the water surrounding Sasuke and Haku began to swirl all around them,

"_Water Release: Flying Water Needles!"_ The water that was floating began to shift into multiple sharp needles, making Sasuke look around his surroundings for an opening.

"_Doesn't want to kill him… Is that true, Haku?"_ Zabuza thought to himself as the water needles began to soar straight towards Sasuke,

"_Remember the training… Concentrate all my chakra…"_ The water needles began to get closer to Sasuke as he began to focus his chakra at one point,

"_To my legs!_"

Sasuke felt all of his chakra pumped into his legs and once the water needles were just about to skewer him, he jumped. Haku also leaped back a few feet to get away from the impact but there was something amiss about his attack,

"He's gone…" Haku commented when he noticed that there wasn't any signs of Sasuke. But his instincts heard something flying towards him as he dodged multiple flying shurikens. Once the last shuriken had hit the railing of the bridge, a familiar voice had called out behind Haku,

"You're pretty slow… " Haku became shocked as he felt Sasuke's presence behind him with a kunai in the latter's grasps, "From now on, you will only be able to run from _my _attacks."

Haku turned around only to block a swipe from Sasuke's kunai only to see Sasuke relentlessly keep on attacking. Eventually, the raven-haired boy threw his kunai at Haku's head but the latter managed to dodge it with ease. But what he didn't see coming was Sasuke's foot heading towards him as Haku is sent flying from a strong but swift kick to the face.

"_Impossible! Haku lost in speed?!_" Zabuza thought in shock as Haku managed to recover and landed on his feet as he skidded to a stop.

"Now what was that about you having the advantage? Now it looks like that I have at least one advantage against you." Sasuke remarked after he managed to land a hit on Haku. As Zabuza continued to observed the boy, Kakashi began to speak as he figured how Zabuza was befuddled at Sasuke's sudden progression,

"Well now, it looks like the table has turned, hasn't it Zabuza? After all, the 'brats' you shoved to the sidelines are now showing their true potential. Sasuke is Fairy Tail's #1 rookie, Sakura is their brightest guild member," Sakura giggled nervously while fiddling with her fingers, "and Natsu is basically Fairy Tail's most destructive wizard."

"OI!"

"But besides them, there's also the whiskered blonde from before. And he's the most unpredictable person that you'll ever face." Kakashi finished as Zabuza lowered his head to look at the ground. But then, he began to laugh in an amusing manner, catching the others off guard.

"Well now Haku. Do you realize what this means?" Haku remained silent while Zabuza continued speaking, "At this rate, we'll be driven back."

"Indeed, Zabuza-san. We can't have that…" The masked boy began to stand back up as he released some of his magical power, making Sasuke and the other tweens tense up at the sudden chill.

"Go Haku. Show them your _true _power." Haku silently complied as he lifted his hands in front of his chest and made a hand sign. The water behind and around Sasuke began to float into the air as they began to shift into a shape of a mirror. Eventually, the water mirrors froze into ice and formed a dorm surrounding Sasuke and Haku,

"_Ice Release: Demonic Mirroring Ice Crystals (Makyō Hyōshō)_!"

"What the hell- He can use the same magic as Ice Stripper?!" Natsu gaped in shock while Sakura could only watch the fight in concern.

"_This spell… What does it do?_" Kakashi thought to himself as Haku began to move. Once the masked boy was close enough to an ice mirror, he stepped right into the mirror. Everyone watched in shock as Haku completely entered into the mirror. It was then that multiple versions of him also appeared in the empty mirrors that weren't occupied.

Realizing the potential threat in Haku's spell, Kakashi began to head towards the dome of ice. That was until Zabuza swiftly appeared and swung his sword towards the masked shinobi, causing him to narrowly dodge.

"Oi, you shouldn't run off like that. I'm your opponent right now… and against that spell, your brat is good as gone." Kakashi silently grunted in annoyance as he stared down at Zabuza.

"_Wh-what are these mirrors? And what do they do?_" Sasuke calmly observed the mirrors around him while thinking of a way to counter them,

"Now… I'll show you my real speed." Sasuke then felt something cut through his left shoulder and saw a senbon pierce the ground. It was from there that multiple senbons at eye-blinking speed pierce through or cut down Sasuke. Blood flew into the air as Kakashi's group could only watch in horror at Sasuke being skewed like a shish kebab.

"GUAA!"

"If you try to get past me in order to save the boy, then I'll be able to kill off those three behind you." Zabuza commented in a taunting manner. As Sasuke kept on getting attacked by needles, Natsu clenched his fists in anger as he watched his fellow wizard getting himself on the losing side. The _Dragon Slayer _couldn't remain still anymore and he was about to run until he heard Sakura spoke,

"Tazuna-san… I'm sorry… But I have to leave you for a moment." Tazuna gazed at the young girl before noticing how Natsu wanted to do the same thing. The bridge builder understood the tweens' desire to save their fellow and thus said,

"Yeah, don't worry about me. Both of you, save your friend." Without any hesitation, the two sprinted towards the dome of ice as Sakura pulled out a kunai from the case strapped to her thigh. Just as Haku was about to throw another set of senbons, the masked boy sensed Natsu jump above the ice dome. Haku turned his attention towards Natsu who had his right arm pulled back,

"_Fire Dragon's Crushing Fang (Karyū no Saiga)!" _The pink-haired wizard hollered while flames appeared on his fingers as Natsu clawed the mirror Haku was in. Even though fire usually works against ice, but to Natsu's surprise, the mirror wasn't damaged whatsoever,

"What the hell-" Natsu said as he was just about to land onto the ground. Haku took advantage of Natsu's shock and recovery time and was about to retaliate until,

"Sasuke-kun!" The masked boy turned his head slightly and saw Sakura leap towards them. In her ascent, Sakura threw the kunai she pulled out directly towards Haku. Just as the kunai was about to pierce through the mirror, the upper half of Haku's body emerged as he grabbed ahold of the kunai.

"_He blocked it!"_ Sakura thought to herself in shock while the masked boy was just about to throw it back to her. Once Natsu had regained his ground, he ignited his right fist and began to run towards Haku when a poof was heard in the air. Everyone heard the sound and began to look all around the area to locate who had made the sudden noise, Unfortunately this had Haku's attention completely that he didn't notice an orange blur catapulting towards him. But it was too late as Haku turned his head towards the blur only to be tackled out of the mirror.

"What in the-" Zabuza muttered out loud as he and Kakashi turned to where Haku and the blur had landed. Natsu and Sakura also kept their eyes on the two as the unknown object disappeared in a puff of smoke. Sasuke sensed an additional magic signature and instantly recognized who had arrived,

"_Looks like he came after all… The idiot…_" The raven-haired boy thought to himself while lying on the ground. Haku was still befuddled as to what had occurred but then he remembered the other person Kakashi had spoke about and immediately connected the dots. Once the smoke had cleared, everyone saw a familiar blonde crouching on top of the ice dome,

"Well, looks like I came right in the nick of time. Now then," The blonde began to stand up as he locked his gaze at Zabuza and Haku, "It's about time that I have my share of kicking the enemy's behind!"

Mostly everyone except for Sasuke, Zabuza, and Haku sweat-dropped at Naruto's proclamation while thinking the same thing to an extent.

"_Well, I did say that he was unpredictable… But I never thought he would actually say those kind of things in the middle of a fight…"_

"_The moron… We don't need another Natsu around in this situation…_"

"The whiskered brat from before…" Zabuza kept his gaze onto the blonde on top of the ice dome. Haku recovered from Naruto's sudden ambush and turned his head towards the blonde. After staring at him for a couple seconds, the masked boy then remembered what Naruto had said the day before,

"_I just want to be stronger. Stronger so that I can not only protect them but I also want to be strong so I can help out anyone who need it." _

"Interesting…" Kakashi turned his attention to Zabuza who kept his glare directly at Naruto, "Now that you're here now, I can finally repay you for that ambush you gave me from last time!"

Kakashi's eye widened as Zabuza quickly threw a couple of shurikens, catching the blonde tween off guard. Just as the shurikens were almost in range of Naruto, Haku threw some senbons to intercept them, making the projectiles fall onto the ground.

"Haku, what is this?" Zabuza asked Haku in a puzzled but scolding manner. Haku stood back up as the boy paid no heed to his superior,

"Zabuza-san, forgive me… But let me deal with these two my way." The bandaged swordsman remained silent for a while, taking in Haku's words until he realized the boy's intentions. Once he did, all that Zabuza could do was oblige as he let out a tiresome sigh,

"So you don't want me to interfere, Haku? You're as soft as always…"

"_Soft? What's he talking about?"_ Naruto and Sakura thought simultaneously while Sasuke managed to sit back up and managed to get onto his feet. While the raven-haired boy was thinking of the possibilities behind the mysterious spell Haku activated, he suddenly felt a presence in front of him. Looking slightly up, he was flabbergasted on the inside at who was in front of him with a hand raised in a greeting motion,

"Yo, Sasuke! I managed to get in!" Natsu grinned while Sasuke could get even more astonished at Natsu's denseness. Unfortunately, his thought process became even more scattered when Sakura shrieked out,

"Natsu, you moron! Why did you enter inside the mirrors like a complete blockhead?! Didn't anyone taught you in Fairy Tail to take in your surroundings before-"

"For crying out loud, I know that you're slow on the uptake and all. But entering the dome is another matter entirely…" Naruto said to Natsu when he just entered the dome of mirrors himself, shocking everyone but the enemies in the area once more.

"Why should I listen to someone who just did the exact same thing as I did?!"

"Because _you _were the one who entered the dome without caution! Somebody has to keep an eye on your sorry butt! Ttaku, this just really proves that you possess no brain whatsoever!"

"Forget it, both of you are idiots…" Sasuke dryly commented, catching Naruto's attention in an instant,

"What was that?! Is that the way you repay somebody who came all this way to save you in the nick of time?!"

"_That Naruto… He really does do the unexpected out of nowhere…_" Kakashi thought to himself as he managed to turn his attention back at Zabuza, "_If I try to go to help them, then I'll let Tazuna-san be in danger. But I can't just leave them…. If I try to use a Shadow Clone (Kage Bunshin), he'll just counter with his own Water Clone (Mizu Bunshin)."_

While Kakashi was pondering on what to do, Haku managed to re-entered into one of the ice mirrors. Once he was completely fused in the mirrors, the three boys focused their attention on the mirror in front of them. Just as soon as they straighten their stances to counter-attack, Haku spoke to them from behind,

"Over here." Naruto, Sasuke, and Natsu tensed up in shock as Sasuke slowly turned around to see Haku behind them. Naruto and Natsu turned around and were still surprised from how fast Haku had moved from one mirror to another.

"Wh-What's going on here?!" Natsu exclaimed while Naruto and Sasuke slightly recovered from their stupor as the latter began to formulate a plan. The raven-haired boy began to make multiple hand signs at a moderate speed as his cheeks puffed out once he inhaled oxygen from his nose,

"_Fire Release: Great Fireball (Katon__・__Gōkakyū)!"_

Sasuke crouched down slightly as he curled his right hand in front of his mouth. He then expelled a large stream of fire from his mouth which took a larger round form once it went through the gap in his right hand. The flames made contact with the ice mirrors in front of the raven-haired boy as it began to spread a little in the back. Naruto and Natsu stared in awe as Sasuke stopped spewing out fire as the flame continued to consume the mirrors. But it was all in vain once they saw that the mirrors somehow stayed in tact,

"What the- Your flames didn't do anything! How does that make any sense?!" Naruto stated flabbergastedly while Haku remained composed in his mirror. Having seen enough, Natsu crouched down slightly as he too inhaled the oxygen in the air and curled his hands in front of his mouth,

"_Fire Dragon's Roar (Karyū no Hōkō)!" _

Like Sasuke, Natsu spewed out flames from his mouth which were condensed to a single beam of fire as it made contact with Haku's mirrors. Unlike Sasuke's fire though; Natsu's flames, to the boy's shock, were actually melting the mirrors to an extent. But nevertheless, it still wasn't enough to melt the ice once Haku amplified his chakra into his spell,

"It is pointless; you cannot hope to successfully burning down my spell with this level of fire…"

Natsu cursed in annoyance once he ceased his spell while Naruto and Sasuke were staring at Haku. The masked boy took out a few senbons and began to throw them at the boys, skewing them as they weren't able to dodge them with Haku's throwing speed.

"_He's attacking from every single direction! How is he doing all of this at once?!"_ Naruto thought to himself while Haku watched them suffer silently,

"Trying to follow me with your eyes is impossible. You'll never be able to catch me."

Even though the remark was supposed to insult them, but for some reason, Naruto couldn't help but feel like he heard the voice somewhere before. Putting that aside, Naruto crossed his fingers together for the hand sign for his _Shadow Clone _spell until Natsu let out an extremely loud shout,

"AAAAAYYYYYYHHHHH!"

"Oi, are you trying to make us deaf?!" Naruto asked incredulously while he and Sasuke covered their ears. Haku remained composed as Natsu jumped into the air and focused most of his flames into his palms. Letting them gain shape, the _Dragon Slayer _then threw the composed sphere of fire at the mirror on the top,

"_Fire Dragon's Brilliant Flame (Karyū no Kōen)!"_ The sphere of fire made contact with the mirror and exploded, causing the mirror to melt even more. The remains of the spell even hit the top upper mirrors as they too melted more as well. But unfortunately, Haku had managed to escape before the mirror he was in was hit. But before he re-entered another mirror, he had thrown another batch of senbons at the _Dragon Slayer_, causing him to fall onto the ground, pierced with even more senbons.

"You cannot hope to catch me with any sort of spell of any range. These mirrors allow me to transport myself through every single reflection, giving me more of a boost in speed. In addition, from my point of view, you all seem to be moving in slow-motion."

Everyone but the elite shinobi became confused at what the masked boy was trying to imply about his power. Kakashi managed to catch on what Haku was saying but even he couldn't believe it himself once he realized the reason behind Haku's expertise.

"For a kid like him to be able to master that kind of magic..." Sakura looked at the masked shinobi puzzledly at his accusation until the latter spoke again, "That spell.. is from an _Advanced Blood Limit (Kekkei Genkai)_, isn't it?"

"Hehehehe… So you figured it out, didn't you, Kakashi?"

"Deep blood lineage… Superior genealogy… They're a brand of unique magic that can only be passed down through heritage alone."

"Then.. Does that mean-" Sakura began to say once she was beginning to understand what Kakashi was implying,

"Yeah, you could compare it to my _Sharingan_ and Natsu's _Dragon Slayer Magic (Metsuryu Maho)_. Magic like that are almost impossible to copy because of the properties behind them."

"_A Dragon Slayer you say_… _Well that explains how that brat managed to hold off against my Water Clone. But even so, he's still nowhere on Haku's level_." Zabuza thought to himself while the three boys in the ice dome were still trying to find a way to defeat the masked boy.

"So what if you can move that quickly through your stupid mirrors?! That doesn't mean you're unbeatable!" Naruto said as he kept his gaze at the masked boy while Sasuke watched him with puzzled eyes, "I can't die here… I have a promise to fulfill and friends to protect no matter what."

"_Well, even so, there's something that I need to prove to someone right now. An ideal that no one should ever throw away like trash, dattebayo!" _

Haku kept his gaze on the three boys while hearing Naruto's words made him remember his encounter with Zabuza just like last time.

* * *

_Snow was falling all around the area as a younger but grimy Haku leaned on the bars of the bridge he was sitting on. As the boy wrapped his arms around his legs, he heard footsteps slowly approaching as he slightly lifted his head to see the passerby. The person turned out to be Zabuza who happened to be in an outfit similar to Kakashi's but with the vest colored pale brown. Once the man walked past Haku, he noticed something strange about the boy once he sensed a peculiar power in him. Zabuza stopped walking and turned around to look at the boy,_

"_... What an unfortunate child.." Haku looked upward towards the man as he began to approach the boy. Zabuza then crouched down to Haku's height to get a closer look at the orphaned boy, "A brat like you who isn't wanted by anyone… You will die with neither freedom nor dreams."_

_Once Zabuza had said those 'harsh' words, he couldn't help but be confused at the blank stare Haku had. The boy was observing him closely and the bandaged shinobi could only stoically stare in silence. But when Haku suddenly smiled unexpectedly, Zabuza felt his confusion immediately turn to shock once the boy spoke for the first time,_

"_You… have the same eyes as I do." Zabuza stared at the boy in shock at the boy's statement. Once the bandaged shinobi gazed into the boy's smile, he realized that the latter had experienced the trauma of being able to kill without any hesitation. As he managed to let this information sink in, it was then that Zabuza realized that Haku could be useful to him. Especially since he could sense the full potential the boy had inside him._

* * *

While Haku kept thinking of that particular moment, he snapped out of it once he saw the three get back up, looking for any weaknesses in the dome.

"Becoming a true shinobi is difficult for me… If it was possible, I don't want to kill you. Nor do I want you to kill me." Naruto and Sasuke stared at Haku in surprise while Natsu could only tilt his head in confusion at Haku's words, "But if you come at me again… I will destroy my kind heart with a blade and become a true shinobi. This bridge is the place where we will fight… and to connect our dream."

"Me, for my dream. And you three, for your dreams." Everyone in the area turned their attention towards the ice dome once they heard the speech Haku was speaking, "Please don't hate me. I want to protect someone precious to me. To work for that person. To fight for that person… and to make that person's dreams come true. That is.. my dream. For that, I can become a true shinobi. I can kill you three with this alone."

Natsu instantly crouched down onto his hands, ready to pounce at the masked boy again. Sasuke and Naruto kept their eyes onto Haku. But what was shocking at the moment was that all three boys were smiling in anticipation to finish this fight once and for all.

"Sasuke-kun! Natsu! Naruto! Don't lose to that guy!" Sakura shouted to encourage the three boys as they prepared themselves again for a fight.

"No Sakura. Don't egg them on." Sakura looked at Kakashi puzzlingly as the latter kept his eyes on Zabuza, "Even if they could managed to counter that technique, they can't defeat that boy."

"Wh-What do you mean, Kakashi-sensei?!" Sakura said in concern for the three boys while Zabuza began cackling, catching their attention.

"It's because _they _don't have the strength to destroy their hearts and kill another person. That young man knows the true pain of becoming a shinobi. A real shinobi cannot be created in a peaceful village like yours or in a guild like Fairy Tail... Because they can't gain the most important thing of being a shinobi. The experience of killing."

"That may be… But in a place like Fairy Tail…" Kakashi began to raise his hand over the headband that was covering his left eye, "There's no need to kill your foes. It's only by having the strength to protect your treasure. That's what really matters to a Fairy Tail wizard… But I'm not a part of that guild so that logic doesn't apply to me… However; as someone who's acquainted with that guild, I'm afraid that I have to end this quickly now."

"The _Sharingan_ again, eh? Is that really the only thing you can do?" Zabuza tauntingly asked the other shinobi, "I guess being friends with those soft-hearted fools causes you to lose your pride as a shinobi..."

The two shinobi kept their eyes on each other as Kakashi gripped the headband while Zabuza dug into his utility pouch behind his shirt. In an instant, Zabuza began to run towards Kakashi, catching him off-guard as the former pulled out a kunai and thrusted it towards Kakashi's hand. Kakashi managed to pull himself together and used his other hand to defend against the incoming kunai. But this action, however, caused the kunai to pierce through the flesh of his hand, but in the end, he managed to hold Zabuza in place for a bit.

"You asked if the _Sharingan_ was all that I have… But I can tell this much about you now: You're afraid of the _Sharingan_, aren't you?" Kakashi inquired while blood seeped down his hand and onto the floor. Zabuza scoffed in response but then responded back with a slightly snarky tone,

"I thought you would've known this by now. But a shinobi's technique isn't something that should be shown to the opponent multiple times in a row."

"Then you should be honored by this occasion then." Kakashi instantly replied back, "You're going to be the only person to see it twice. And there won't be a third time."

"Heh… Even if you defeat me, you can't win against Haku."

Sakura observed the fight between the two adults worriedly. The thought of one of the strongest shinobi she had known wouldn't be able to defeat a boy around their age concerned her.

"Even since he was a little kid, I taught him all kinds of fighting techniques. Even facing the greatest of adversities, he has succeeded in killing them off, shinobi and wizards alike. Without a heart nor fear of death; he became an excellent fighting machine worthy of being called a shinobi. And his prowess even suppresses mine, as to be expected from someone with an _Advanced Blood Limit_."

"So you see, I have acquired a high quality tool for myself," Zabuza roughly pulled the kunai out of Kakashi's hand, causing blood to spew in between them, "Unlike the scraps that you have along for the ride."

"Well regardless of what you think," Kakashi pulled the headband off of his left eye, revealing his _Sharingan_, "There's nothing as boring as a man bragging about what he has over the other person. So why don't we stop the chattering and let's just resume our little fight."

"Yes… But before we do however, let me use your own words against you and brag about one more thing." Kakashi straightened his stance upon hearing the swordsman's words. Tazuna and Sakura stared in confusion as Zabuza slightly lifted his hand in front of his mouth and made a hand sign with it,

" 'I'll tell you this. The same spell won't work twice on me.' Wasn't it?" Kakashi narrowed his glare as Zabuza retained his calm and arrogant composure, "I have already seen through the trivial system of that eye. In our last encounter, I wasn't just getting beaten like an idiot. I had Haku hiding in the background examining every aspect of your eye."

"Haku is also bright. By seeing a spell or technique just once, he can usually come up with a way to defeat it." Kakashi became surprised mentally as mist begun to swarm all around the area,

"_Ninja Art: Hidden Mist Illusion (Kirigakure no Genso)!_"

The mist began to pick up in volume as Zabuza slowly began to be consumed by the mist, disappearing in the process. Kakashi closed his right eye and began to focus most of his vision onto his _Sharingan_. Back with Naruto, Natsu, and Sasuke, the three are trying to dodge the incoming needles thrown at them, but to their dismay, some had managed to prick them while they weren't paying attention.

"Dammit! Hey Sasuke! What are we supposed to do?! We're just doing nothing but running around!" Natsu shouted in irritation while the raven haired boy turned to the _Dragon Slayer _slightly,

"Be quiet and just keep dodging! Naruto and I can't watch over you while we're trying to any serious injuries! If you're just going to grovel there, then just keep quiet and try to avoid getting killed! He must have some kind of limit to his power…"

Just as Sasuke spoke, Haku had took out another senbon which Sasuke and the others saw. But what they didn't expect was that when Sasuke had started to move was when Haku threw the needle right into the former's leg. The raven-haired boy fell onto his unharmed leg while Natsu and Naruto were watching each other's backs while Haku began to move from mirror to mirror.

On the other hand; Kakashi, Sakura, and Tazuna were also keeping watch for the enemy. But unlike Natsu and Naruto, they don't have the slightest of clue as to where the bandaged swordsman could be.

"Sakura, protect Tazuna-san at all cost!" The masked ninja ordered Sakura who nodded her head determinedly,

"_Kakashi-sensei's right… I can't devote most of my attention on what's going on over there. Right now, I have a job to do and I will try my hardest doing so!"_

While Sakura was getting herself ready for the task at hand, Tazuna was looking all around the misty area, looking for any signs of Zabuza. But Sakura managed to get his attention as she warned him to stay near her. The bridge builder agreed as Kakashi was still on the lookout for Zabuza while watching the mist get thicker and thicker,

"_At the rate this mist is picking up, it'll be impossible for Zabuza to see himself… So why would he deliberately use this amount of-"_

Once Kakashi had realized the answer behind the large amount of mist, he heard quiet swishes coming towards him. Taking out a kunai, he focused most of his vision on his _Sharingan_ and deflected all of the flying kunais.

"Impressive you managed to block those with ease, _Kakashi of the Sharingan (Kakashi no Sharingan)_..." Zabuza commented behind Kakashi, catching the masked shinobi's attention. Kakashi instinctively jumped away from the swordsman and saw that Zabuza had his eyes closed while maintaining the same hand sign from before,

"But the next time you see me, it will be the end of everything for you… And also, you really overestimated your _Sharingan _too much." The bandaged swordsman said as he began to disappear into the mist once more. While Kakashi stared at the Zabuza's previous spot befuddled, he heard Zabuza's laughter in the air as the swordsman spoke through the mist,

"You acted as if you knew everything… But that prediction was wrong. Kakashi… you can neither read my mind or see into the future… The _Sharingan_… is simply a trick that makes your opponent think that you can."

"It's basically an eye technique that involves hypnotism and an attention for detail. By using the two together, you can progress from copying the body to the mind and then onto any opposing spells. That's the dance that makes it seem like you can see the future."

"First, with that keen eye, you copy my movements to the precise detail to shake my mind. From there, you're able to figure out what I'll say and become in my confusion. And then, once my anxiety and confusion reached its peak, you cast a hypnosis and suggest which seals should I use. That's how your little trick is then able to copy whatever spell that I cast."

"And so now, with this mist clouding your vision," Kakashi suddenly felt Zabuza's presence close to him but he couldn't block the incoming attack in time, "I just made your precious _Sharingan_ useless now."

Kakashi shook off the sudden hit but just as he recovered, he got hit by another of Zabuza's attacks, shoving him by a few meters. Kakashi managed to stop his movement as he heard the swordsman speak again,

"And what's more useful about this tactic is that if keep my eyes closed, then I remove the chances of being hypnotised."

"So you managed to figure it out this quickly… But even so, then how would you even attack if you can't see?" Silence once again took over the conversation as the only noise heard right now were the skewing senbons in the ice dome.

"Have you forgotten already?" Kakashi then suddenly realized the answer as the swordsman just spoke it out loud for him, "Even with my eyes closed, I am one of seven swordsman in the entire world who can kill off his prey just by listening to their sound alone."

"_Damn it… I'm worried about how Sasuke, Naruto, and Natsu are faring against the boy. But it's been awhile since I've been in a dangerous situation like this… So in this kind of scenario, who would he target right now…_"

The masked shinobi began to take in deep breathes as he soothed all of the agitated thoughts that were swarming in his head. After he rationalized his thoughts, it was then he realized 'who' Zabuza had his eyes sighted on. Using his chakra to boost his running speed, Kakashi began to run back to Sakura and Tazuna whom didn't notice Zabuza had appeared behind them. The swordsman then silently pulled out his _Kubikiribōchō (Decapitating Carving Knife)_ just when Sakura and Tazuna noticed his presence. Kakashi managed to stop in front of the two right when Zabuza lifted his sword over his head,

"Too late!" Zabuza exclaimed as he swung the blade down as Sakura screamed at the sight before her.

Back at the ice dome, an exhausted Naruto was kneeling in front of an unconscious Natsu who passed out from the pain of the multiple senbons piercing his body. Sasuke wasn't well either but he managed to stay conscious like the whiskered blonde. The raven-haired boy turned his attention to Haku who was watching them closely when they hear Sakura's scream reaching their ears.

"_That was Sakura's voice! What is Kakashi doing over there?!"_ Sasuke thought in his mind as he turned slightly to his left to see Naruto's and Natsu's conditions for himself, "_Damn it… This is bad. At this rate, neither me nor Naruto will be able to watch over Natsu…_"

Sasuke slowly stood back up as he saw Haku was thinking in his own world. Probably on the terms as to how he kept on dodging his senbons even though the masked boy was aiming for the critical spots. Little did Haku know, Sasuke's eyes were beginning to adapt to his movements little by little as chakra was building up in those said parts.

"You two… move well regardless of your injuries… But this time, I'll stop you both. Starting with you first." Haku proclaimed as he got out another batch of senbons and began to aim at Sasuke.

"_He's coming!_" Sasuke watched as Haku pulled his hand back and readied to throw the senbons at him, "_Calm down… concentrate… and see through it!_"

Haku threw the senbons at a quicken speed but at almost similar speed, Sasuke dodged the senbons while pushing Naruto and Natsu out of the way. The masked boy and a semi-conscious Naruto were shocked at Sasuke's sudden burst in speed while the former was thinking of a possible solution to the phenomenon. It was when Sasuke had lifted his head after recovering from his little stunt that Haku realized the reason how. Sasuke's usual pitch black eyes had turned crimson red and had two tomoes circling around his pupil.

"_Those eyes! It can't be…?! He has the Sharingan as well?!"_ Haku realized the reason while Naruto turned at Sasuke exhaustedly as he too noticed the change as well,

"I see… Like me, you too are from an _Advanced Blood Limit._" Haku commented while the raven-haired boy took everything around him as he marveled at the things he could see despite his exhaustion. But as of this moment, this wasn't the time to be awe-struck as Haku was preparing for another attack, "Then I can't have this fight go on any longer. My spell uses up a lot of ethernano and chakra. There's a limit on how long I can keep it active and it would seem like your eyes are beginning to catch up to my movements."

Haku then narrowed his sight towards the exhausted Naruto nearby as he got back on his knees, kneeling in front of Natsu. Silently declaring his target, Haku took out more senbons and emerged out of the mirror,

"This is the end!" Haku yelled out as Naruto shakily tried to stand but the senbons had hit several of his pressure points, causing his _Tailed Beast Magic_ to heal a lot slower. Once Sasuke noticed who the masked boy was aiming for, he desperately charged towards the three, hoping to make it on time.

* * *

Despite taking a cut from a giant blade, Kakashi somehow remains standing but at the cost of clutching the cut over his chest. The bandaged swordsman slightly laughed in amusement at his opponent's condition while he still kept an eye on him,

"You've gotten much slower, Kakashi. Has saving those brats and this mist cloud your judgment? Despite having an impressive eye, your ability to read my movements has grown dimmer." The masked shinobi narrowed his gaze at the bandaged swordsman as he continued to taunted the injured Kakashi, "Try to survive for just a little longer now. I want more fun as I return the favor back at you last time. And I wouldn't consider worrying about the brats; Haku probably killed them off by now. Plus I'm about to send you to the same place as them so you can apologize to them for lacking the strength to protect them."

Zabuza held _Kubikiribōchō _in a reversed grip with both hands while watching Kakashi for any movement. Kakashi kept his eyes on the bandaged swordsman as the latter was a little surprised to see Kakashi still had a calm composure despite all of the taunting he just did.

"I wouldn't be so sure to count them dead as of yet. After all, I believe in their strength as all three of them have something that makes them strong. Especially Sasuke who's an offspring of one of Konoha's most prominent clan."

"You mean to tell me…" Zabuza realized what Kakashi was implying once he connected the dots to Sasuke's sudden growth,

"Yeah… His full name is Sasuke Uchiha. He's a child prodigy who has the _Advanced Blood Limit_ of the Uchiha clan running through his veins." Kakashi confirmed Zabuza's suspicions with his usual stoic voice. Zabuza re-sheathed his giant cleaver and made a hand sign with both hands as he began to disappear again,

"An offspring from a tragic clan… But it's the same for Haku. Nobody has ever defeated his special spell. But nevertheless, I guess I should end my fight as well..."

"He disappeared again!" Sakura cried out when Zabuza completely vanished into the mist. Kakashi crouched into a running stance while keeping an eye out for Zabuza,

"Sakura, stay here!" Sakura hesitantly nodded while Kakashi rushed towards the spot where Zabuza was last seen. Once he got close enough, Kakashi stopped running and started to call out to the swordsman, "Can you hear me, Zabuza? You seem to think that I survived in this world with only the _Sharingan_. You're wrong… As a former member of Konoha's ANBU, I wasn't the shinobi I am currently back then. And so, it's time for me to stop messing around: I'll end this right now with my own original spell."

* * *

"Urgh…" Natsu groaned tiredly as he managed to lifted himself off the ground to an extent. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Naruto kneeling in front of him. The _Dragon Slayer _noticed he had his eyes on Sasuke who was standing in front of the two while watching Haku. For some strange reason, the masked boy was lying on his stomach as he struggled to get back up.

"Ttaku… All that you ever do is get in the way…" Sasuke commented as Natsu became fully adjusted to his surroundings,

"Sasuke… You-" Natsu spoke happily before a sudden cough emitted from Sasuke. Following Naruto's example, Natsu turned his eyes towards the raven-haired boy and saw the multiple senbons that had basically pierced the majority of his upper body.

"What's… with that face… You moron…" Sasuke taunted weakly as he turned his head towards Natsu and Naruto. The two of them stared at the boy with distressed and aghast eyes while Sasuke began to cough out more blood.

"Why… Why did you…" Natsu teared up while Naruto continued to stare at his newly-made rival in sadness at the inevitable.

"Pft…" Naruto and Natsu snapped their attention towards Sasuke as the raven haired boy spoke once more, "I hated you… the both of you…"

"So then… why? Why did you save the both of us then?" Naruto questioned while Sasuke remained silent in response, "I never asked you to jump in and help us, dattebayo!"

"I don't know… My body just moved on its own…" Sasuke was slowing swaying back and forth before falling towards Naruto. The blonde managed to catch the raven haired boy while Natsu could only stare in silence,

"That men… and my brother… I told myself I wouldn't die until I kill him and see my brother once again." Naruto's eyes widened when Sasuke revealed his darkest secret to them. All the while, the latter's eyes began to gave way as they started to slowly close,

"Don't… die as well… Naruto… Natsu… "

Sasuke's eyes closed completely as his breathing suddenly came to a halt and his body ceased moving. Natsu began tearing up while Naruto too started to shed tears but his eyes were being covered by his bangs as he stared down at Sasuke's body.

"He landed a blow on me without flinching… and he died to protect the both of you." Haku spoke as he slowly got back onto his knees, "To protect someone precious, even though he knew it was a trap, he was still able to jump in. He is someone worthy to earn respect, regardless of what his occupation is."

Haku noticed the two boys were silent as they mourned for their fallen friend. He couldn't help but feel a little bit of sympathy towards them; especially towards Naruto who he had spoke to before their confrontation.

"Is this the first time a friend has died in front of you? Sad as it is, I'm afraid that is the way of the shinobi…" Haku reaffirmed as he got back onto his feet. He then walked towards an ice mirror and began to enter it again.

"Shut up…" Naruto mumbled as the anger he had kept inside was beginning to seep out. Unknowingly to the two boys, the whiskered blonde was thinking on the last few words Sasuke spoke as he could understand how Sasuke felt before he died,

"_I don't know why as well. But… I hated you as well… Because you…_" Naruto thought to himself as Kurama's power was starting to take ahold of Naruto. Not even noticing the change in his ethernano and chakra, Naruto shouted out to Haku while unknowingly slipping a hint of malice in his voice,

"_**I won't forgive you!**_"

Haku noticed the change, on the other hand, as Kurama's power began to come out of Naruto, shocking Natsu out of his stupor. Both boys were staring at Naruto in disbelief, they noticed the whiskered boy clutching Sasuke's body tightly as he looked up towards Haku. What really made them shocked the most was the sudden changes on Naruto. His whisker-like marks widened and thickened in shape, along with his eyes became crimson-red and were slitted. His teeth became sharper along with his nails suddenly growing longer.

"_Wha-What is this form?!_" Both Haku and Natsu were thinking as they were starting to become afraid of Naruto's sudden change. Once Naruto gained eye contact towards Haku, his eyes narrowed even more in anger as both chakra and ethernano leaked out of him in a malicious way,

"_**I'LL KILL YOU!**_"

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**Well... here it is. Despite the little delay on my part, I got this chapter up like I said the majority of the time. As I mentioned last time, I already started my 3rd year in University which means work is going to be a lot tougher than the last two years since I'm majoring in animation. Especially since if I want to go on as a 4th year, I have to complete a one-and-a half to two minute animation that I need to create really well for me to pass this year. Fortunately, I have until the beginning of May for me to create the piece but it'll take up a lot of time to get things right. But that won't stop me from writing so to make things up for the time being, I'll try to work my hardest to get the next chapter up and running as soon as I can. I hope you guys can understand and I appreciate your patience for doing so.**

**Oh, besides that, I think that besides work and writer's block, what really got me to finish this chapter was because of the latest Fairy Tail chapter that came up recently. And let's just say: what got revealed in that chapter gave me all the more reason to finish this update and started the next one so quickly since it involves _you-know-who _just from looking at the pairing for this story.**

**Thank you for reading and please leave a review. **


	15. Sorrowful Departures

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 14: Sorrowful Departures

Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Naruto. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima while Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

_September X777_,

Hours had passed since Naruto had left Inari with his friends to watch over the house for any other enemy mercenaries. So far, it would seem that the two men from before were the only ones sent to capture Tsunami. Fortunately, Jellal casted his _Sleep Magic (Nemuri no Maho)_ on them so that they'll be asleep for quite some time.

"Do you think Naruto-san and the others are going to be alright, Jellal?" The blue-haired boy turned his attention from the window towards Wendy. He noticed that she was getting worried about the possibility of their friends being critically injured. Walking from his stationary post. the tween approached Wendy and patted her head reassuringly.

"Daijoubu. Knowing Naruto, he'll try his best to make sure that no one's going to be hurt. He is _that_ kind of person after all." Jellal said confidently as Wendy managed to calm her anxiety down and smiled back.

Jellal lifted his hand off of Wendy's head as he saw Inari still guarding the unconscious form of his mother. He then turned his head towards the kitchen's other window and saw Sayla was stoically looking through it. Despite how the she-demon always had an emotionless look on her face, but when Naruto was involved though, Jellal slightly figured what was on her mind. The boy walked towards her as she sensed him approaching but kept her attention at the window.

"Something's wrong."

Jellal's eyes widened when he heard the she-demon suddenly speak. Her words puzzled him, along with catching Wendy and Inari's attention as well.

"What do you mean by 'Something's wrong'?" Jellal asked worriedly while Inari and Wendy were looking at the two in a mixture of confusion and concern. Sayla turned her gaze from the window and towards Jellal. It was from the look in her eyes that the tattooed boy realized what she was implying, "Did you sense something awful has happened?"

Sayla stared at Jellal for a few seconds in silence before nodding her head in confirmation. Seeing that he wanted to know what it was, the she-demon began to speak once again.

"I don't know what it is exactly. But I can tell… that an ominous presence revealed itself just now at the bridge." Jellal maintained a calm expression while Wendy and Inari were starting to worry about the she-demon's presage. The tattooed-eyed boy turned his attention towards the window while looking in the direction of the construction site worriedly.

"_Naruto… What is happening over there?_"

* * *

Surges of red/orange chakra and ethernano swirled around Naruto while Natsu and Haku could only gaze in anxiety and fear. The power of the two energies was emitting at a rapid pace that it began to tear at the ground beneath them.

"_What… What is this power?! This is definitely Ethernano I'm sensing... along with Chakra as well…_" Haku thought mentally as he saw Naruto standing back up while putting Sasuke's body on the ground. It was then that the masked boy saw the most terrifying thing that he had seen in his life.

Swirling around the enraged Naruto, the two energies began to fuse together and formed a giant demonic fox head. The giant apparition of power not only looked fierce but the negative emotions that were emitting from it shook Haku to the core. The masked boy couldn't think of any other time fear had taken control like this in all of his life.

"_But it's impossible for Chakra_ _to suddenly change like this! And all of this malicious intent… This is beyond the hatred of a normal human if it can actually taint the magic power in the air as well!_"

Deciding to forget about the strange anomaly the fox head was, he noticed steam emitting in the air somewhere. Figuring it was the _Dragon Slayer_ at first, he turned his gaze to Natsu and saw that he was still staring at Naruto in shock and fear. But Natsu's eyes weren't focused on the whiskered blonde at all; no, they were gazing at Naruto's hands that were suddenly healing. Haku couldn't believe his eyes when he saw this occurrence and was beginning to wonder how strong the whiskered blonde really was.

"_The cuts on his hands_… _They're healing! But that should be- no… Just what kind of being is this boy?!"_ Haku thought almost in a frantic manner at the possible fact that Naruto couldn't be human at the least. But unfortunately, he didn't have the time to ponder as he sensed Naruto turn his eyes at him. The hateful gaze in the whiskered boy's crimson eyes narrowed even more as a sudden shockwave suddenly appeared when Naruto widened his eyes.

Naruto's anger and hatred was still emitting in the air that Kakashi and Zabuza stopped whatever it was they were doing. They then turned their attention towards the sudden feeling in the air as they sensed the abominable presence in the atmosphere.

"Is… Is that Zabuza?" Kakashi mumbled to himself once he sensed the dark presence in the air. Once he analyzed it for a short period of time, he realized it wasn't coming from the _Kirigakure_ shinobi at all. It was emitting from the one person he knew had the same hidden power his sensei's wife had once before.

"_No… This terrifying chakra… It can't be, but there's no other possibilities though…"_

"_What is this power I'm sensing… Something's not right..." _Zabuza thought in his mind as he too analyzed the strange presence in the atmosphere, "_Is it Kakashi? No… it's too strong to be even his?!_"

"_Naruto… Could he be- This is bad; if Naruto is a Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails (Kyūbi) like Kushina-san… Does this mean that he has been overwhelmed by its immense power?!" _The masked shinobi thought worriedly as he was starting to think of the worst case scenario of a possible rampage. Fortunately, once Kakashi evaluated the energies for a bit longer, he sensed some remnants of stability inside. "_This feeling… It's alright! Naruto hasn't been completely taken over by its power! But still, if this keeps up however… He'll lose his sense of self the longer he lets his anger control him!"_

Thinking quickly, Kakashi took out a small scroll from his vest pocket and threw it into the air. He placed his left thumb on the giant cut wound on his chest and wiped some blood from it. He then unraveled the scroll in his other hand as he quickly wiped the blood from his thumb onto the contents of the scroll.

"Zabuza… Can you hear me… Neither of us has time to waste… This might not be your style but let's end the fun.." The masked shinobi let go of the scroll as he slightly threw it back into the air. The scroll wrapped itself back as Kakashi juggled it in his hands while making multiple hand signs and eventually stopped once he made the right amount,

"And finish this fight right now!"

"Hmph.. Sounds interesting." Zabuza's voice echoed in the massive layer of mist. "What can you do in this situation? Doesn't matter to me that much, but still… Show me what you're up to! Kakashi!"

The massive amount of chakra and ethernano that was leaking out of Naruto eventually subsided back into the blonde. The angry blonde kept his hateful eyes towards the masked Haku and snarled at him viciously. And then, just like a predatory beast, Naruto ran towards the mirror Haku was in on all four of his limbs.

"_Here he comes!_"

Shockwaves were created as Naruto ran towards Haku. Natsu managed to held his ground while holding Sasuke's body as the violent winds blew.

"_He has such a large amount of killing intent! He's completely different from before!"_ Haku thought to himself as he took out another batch of senbons. The masked boy then threw them towards Naruto who's surprisingly unfazed from the threat.

"_**KKKKAAAAHHHH!**_"

The senbons were instantly neutralized from just one shout from Naruto. The blonde continued to run while the senbons just dropped to the ground like harmless pins.

"_Impossible! He deflected all of them with just a chakra-amplified roar!_" Haku mentally stated as he moved to a mirror floating above Naruto. The blonde stopped his enraged charge as he looked for his missing 'prey'. Seeing him halt in place, the masked boy took the opportunity and emerged from the mirror with another senbon in hand.

The blonde instantly sensed Haku's presence above him and leapt away before he could be impaled by Haku's attack. The blonde skidded to a stop while Haku mentally cursed himself for underestimating the blonde's newfound reflexes.

"_Damn! I have to get to the next mirror-_" Haku sped towards the nearest mirror with his usual speed. However, the enraged blonde had other ideas as he once again ran towards Haku on all fours. But this time, Naruto managed to grab Haku by his wrist before he could enter the mirror.

With an angry grunt, Naruto spun Haku with immense force before he swung him towards the mirror the latter was going to enter. The mirror shattered upon impact as Naruto then slammed Haku onto the ground, causing the masked boy to muffle out in pain. The blonde roared out loud once he saw Haku had stopped moving, causing more ice mirrors to shattered in the process. When the blonde had settled down from his little tantrum, Haku silently began to move once more, catching Naruto's attention in an instant. Knowing he had gotten Naruto's attention, Haku then tried to use some sort of spell to repel the charging blonde back. The spell proved insufficient as Naruto once again grabbed Haku by the wrist while the latter tried to escape from his captor's grip.

"_It's no good; his strength has increased probably tenfold by now!_"

Naruto then tossed Haku towards one of the mirrors floating above them. Once Haku broke through the mirror, Naruto leapt right after him to follow up his assault.

"_No other choice; I have to dispel my spell for this one final attack._" Haku made multiple hand signs in an abnormal pace just before Naruto was even inches close to him, "_Ice Release: Demonic Mirror Javelins (Hyōton Makyōyari)!_"

The remaining ice mirrors stopped floating around Natsu and Sasuke as they suddenly changed shape and aimed towards Naruto. Then they began to quickly fly towards the unsuspecting blonde who still had his eyes on Haku. The first few mirrors managed to hit Naruto on the back, catching his attention. But, the enraged blonde had other ideas when he started to focus most of his ethernano into his right leg and spun around while extending his leg outward. The channeled ethernano was launched out as a orange shockwave and blasted all the remaining mirrors in one go. The air bounded Haku was surprised with the technique that he didn't realized that the attack was also coming his way, catching him off-guard at the last second.

"Gaahh!" Haku grunted in pain as he struggled to get up when he sensed Naruto was coming towards him. Reeling his arm back, with one loud cry, Naruto then stretched out his clenched fist forward and socked the recovering Haku upon landing.

The masked boy was catapulted a couple of meters at best, tumbling and rolling non-stop while trying to retain his ground. Eventually, Haku managed to stick his feet back onto the ground and skidded to a stop but he stumbled a bit at the end. Blood was dripping down from his concealed face as Haku was breathing slowing due to the wounds that were aching from Naruto's relentless attacks. The aforementioned blonde sensed his 'prey' was still standing as he crouched back on all fours to charge again.

"_Zabuza-san…_" Naruto charged towards Haku once again as the latter's mask started to break apart. Fortunately, the mist was concealing his identity for a bit but it was futile as one half of his mask fell onto the ground, "_I… cannot defeat this boy…_"

Naruto emerged from the mist and leapt above Haku to deal the finishing blow. But at that moment, the remaining half of Haku's mask also fell onto the ground, revealing his face to the enraged blonde.

"_Zabuza-san_…" The feminine boy thought regretfully while waiting for the blonde to deal the final blow to him. Naruto pulled his right fist back again as he continued to dart towards Haku. The blonde slid to a stop as he stretched his arm forward and was about to sock the feminine boy once more. Then once he took one look at the boy's face, Naruto stopped mid-way in punching the latter as the blonde now recognized Haku.

"You-You're… from that day…" Naruto spoke in a recognizing but firm voice while Haku silently remained firm to his spot. This revelation caused Naruto to snap out of his anger and make Kurama's chakra receded back into his body.

"Why did you stop…" Haku asked the shaken Naruto when he saw the blonde wasn't going to kill him this instant. "I killed your precious friend, yet you can't kill me? Why?"

The whiskered blonde turned around to see Natsu staring in shock, having a close seat to the one-sided battle that just occurred. But what Naruto really had his focus on was Sasuke's body which still lied next to Natsu, not moving any time soon. Once Naruto had taken in Haku's words and the reality of the present, Naruto swiftly turned back around and socked Haku along the way.

"Gah!" Haku spat out blood as he collided with the ground. Naruto panted angrily as he watched Haku push himself back up, "What happened to the intensity you just had before?"

"_Do you have someone that's important to you? Someone that you would do anything to help them in any way you can?"_

"_When a person has someone or something important to protect, that's why people strive to become stronger. Seeing as you have those things yourself, you can understand what I'm trying to say, right?"_

"There are people like you who make the mistake of not killing their enemies because of pity… Letting them live with just their lives… Can you understand what I'm saying?" Naruto stopped panting angrily and started to look at the masked boy confusingly, "By not having a dream, not being needed by anyone… The pain of simply living."

To anyone else, those words Haku had spoke would've sounded like pure nonsense. But for someone like Naruto, he started to understand what the feminine boy was implying in those words.

"Hold on… You're not trying to say that-"

"Zabuza has no need for a weak shinobi… You have taken away my reason for living." Haku said as he sadly smiled at the whiskered blonde. Despite the fact that Haku had killed Sasuke earlier, Naruto couldn't help but feel sympathy and confusion at Haku's reason to live. He then remembered back in their previous discussion, Haku had said something similar before.

"Why… Why for a guy like him?! He's a bad guy who takes money from a criminal! Is the eyebrowless freak the only important person to you?!" Naruto shouted in disagreement while Haku still retained the sad smile on his face. Once Naruto looked into his eyes, he could see pain and nostalgia inside them.

"... I had people very dear to me… A long time ago… They were…" Naruto stared at the boy mildly as Haku began to speak again, "My parents…"

Naruto's eyes widened in shock while Haku closed his eyes in reminiscence of the two people who raised him.

"I was born in a small snowy village in Kirigakure… I was happy; my parents were really kind people. But…" The blonde stared sympathetically as Haku was about to reveal more about his past, "When I grew up and began to learn the ways of the world… Something happened…"

"Something… what?" Naruto asked curiously while Haku wiped the blood that remained from his lip, "What happened?! What was this sudden change?!"

Haku remained silent as he continued to stare at the blood he just wiped off. Naruto could only watch as the feminine boy wouldn't answer. Eventually, the answer came out,

"It was from this blood… This blood was the very reason… Why my father killed my mother and then… He tried to kill me as well." Naruto's eyes widened in shock at the sudden revelation as Haku spoke, "The country of _Kirigakure_ had endless civil wars over the years, and those with an "_Advanced Blood Limit (Kenkei Gekkei)"_ came to be hated."

"_Advanced Blood Limit_?"

"They're bloodlines who have unique special abilities such as mine. It was from these abilities alone that clans with these special powers were used in countless battles. As a result, those clans were blamed for bringing the misfortune and war into _Kirigakure_. After the wars, the clans had to hide the truth of their blood. For those whose secret has been discovered, death awaits them. Not even the Magic Council interferes as they and the _Elemental Nations _have external conflicts that will potentially cause an all-out war if they step one foot into each other's boundaries."

Naruto clenched his fists upon hearing the gruesome fact, saddened that someone like Haku had to live his present life just because of a disagreement.

"That young man also suffered such hardships as well because of his blood." Haku referred to Sasuke while Naruto raised an eyebrow at his accurate assumption, "Those with their inherited _Blood Limits_ are known to be feared by wizards and shinobi alike."

"My mother was from one of these bloodlines… and she was killed by my father when he found out. When I realized what he had done… I killed him… My own father, just because he was about to kill me for having the same blood."

Naruto stared at Haku with sympathy and pity for what the boy had to go through. He might've have lost his own parents but Haku's story was something that Naruto couldn't understand to the fullest.

"At that time… I had to think to myself about what had occurred since that incident. And… it was then that I realized the most painful thing."

"Most painful thing?" Naruto meekly asked as Haku's eyes began to lose even more life inside them. A silent atmosphere had appeared between the two while the whiskered blonde was trying to figure what Haku meant. It was when Haku spoke again that the blonde truly understood what the feminine boy meant by those words.

"That in this world… I am a person who is unwanted because of their existence."

Naruto's eyes widened in realization as he knew as well what that was like for a short amount of time in his life. But he also understood Haku's pain too well was from remembering that Sayla was just the same as well before he rescued her.

"_He's… He also knows that 'pain' as well!_"

"You told me back then that you wanted to become stronger… was because you wanted to prove that you can accomplish anything. In turn, you would also know that if someone were to acknowledge you from the bottom of their heart appeared; wouldn't that make them your most precious person?" Naruto turned his gaze downward so his bangs could covered his eyes. From there, he began to think of how he befriended Kurama, Fuu, Jellal, Wendy, and Gajeel (to an extent). More especially, he also thought about how he was able to slowly earn Sayla's trust. "Zabuza-san took me in his wing, despite knowing I was a person with an _Advanced Blood Limit_. This blood that everyone hated… He wanted for his own."

Naruto snapped out of his stupor and looked up towards Haku again. To his surprise, he saw that the feminine-looking boy shedding tears of happiness and nostalgia,

"I was so happy! I was glad that there was someone who could accept me for who I am regardless of my blood!"

* * *

"_Haku… Unfortunately, from today onward, I am abandoning this country. But one day, I will return… and take control of this land!" Zabuza stated to a younger Haku as they looked over the village below, "But what I need is not consolation or encouragement… What I need is…"_

"_I know…" Haku answered before Zabuza could finish his sentence, making the older shinobi turn towards him, "Please don't worry. I am Zabuza-san's tool… Please keep me at your side as your tool…"_

_Zabuza remained silent as he observed Haku's smiling face. Eventually, Zabuza turned back towards the view of Kirigakure as he spoke once more,_

"_Heh… Good kid…"_

* * *

"_I'm sorry, Zabuza-san. I was unable to become the weapon you sought…_" Haku mentally apologized to himself for being defeated. Haku knew what had to be done now since he had failed in his purpose. So he wiped away any remaining tears from his eyes as he then looked at Naruto emotionlessly.

"Naruto-kun…" The whiskered blonde perked up at Haku calling his name and couldn't help but feel somewhat hesitant at whatever Haku had in mind,

"Kill me."

* * *

Kakashi began to once more weave multiple hand signs while tossing the scroll slightly around. He then kneeled down to the ground as he slammed his hands onto the ground with the scroll underneath.

"_Summoning- Earth Release: Ground Tracking Fangs (Kuchiyose Dōton Daichitsuiga)!"_

The ground beneath the scroll began to rupture slightly as several of the inscriptions inside the scroll began to crawl onto the ground like it was alive. Zabuza, on the other hand, remained in his spot, listening for any movements from Kakashi.

"Hmph, whatever you do is useless. You can't figure out where I am," Zabuza taunted arrogantly within the mist, "But I know where you are. Kakashi, you are trapped within my mist. You cannot esca-"

Zabuza's arrogant tangent came to a halt when he started to felt some shaking underneath him. Zabuza released his stance and grabbed the hilt of his blade while keeping an eye out for the incoming threat. Much to his surprise, the ground beneath him erupted as he looked down to see one dog about to bite his left ankle. He managed to lift his foot in time but he didn't pay attention to his other ankle as another dog bit down on it. The swordsman hissed in pain which caused him to place his left foot down, allowing the first dog to bite into it as well. While this was occurring, Zabuza saw several more dogs, varying from different species and sizes, burrow out of the ground to restrain Zabuza as well.

"What was that sound?" Sakura muttered when she heard the barking in the distance. Kakashi, on the other hand, stood back up and turned to the direction he heard the barking from.

"If my eyes and ears won't work… then you might as well use your nose." The masked shinobi stated stoically when he managed to spot Zabuza being restrained by the dogs. "That's what happens when you keep your eyes shut in this level of mist. This summoning specializes in tracking down the opponent with ease."

The _Kirigakure _shinobi's eyes widen with realization when he thought back to the times Kakashi had been injured by him. Seeing Zabuza's expression, Kakashi figured out what the former was thinking at this moment.

"I see that you've figured it out. The very reason why I purposely let my blood spill twice in a row… was for this very moment. Your weapons had been soaked in my blood, allowing my cute _Ninken (Ninja Hounds)_ to smell you out through scent. Now you're trapped in my domain now, so I'm afraid that as of this moment, your future… is death."

"_My_ future is death? Enough of your bullshit." Zabuza snarled while Kakashi remained firm as the two of them continued to stare down at each other.

"Don't be a fool… There's nothing you can do as of now. Your death is certain now." Kakashi stated in-factually while watching any resistance Zabuza might make, "Zabuza… Your ambition was too great… You abandoned your country when your coup d'etat and the assassination of the Mizukage both failed. Your story has even reached Konohagakure."

"You needed money for revenge and you also needed to avoid the Hunter-Nin at all cost. That's probably why you attached yourself to scum like Gatō." Zabuza disdainfully watched the masked shinobi begin to weave multiple hand signs. Eventually, Kakashi grabbed his right wrist as he motioned his right hand into a claw-like stance. Kakashi motioned his position downward as he pointed his right hand down as well.

"_Lightning Cutter (Raikiri)!_"

A purplish-blue magic circle appeared for a brief second underneath Kakashi's right hand before disappearing once several bolts of whitish-blue electricity began to appear. Zabuza watched the spell activate with a sense of slight fear as he saw the electricity surround Kakashi's hand like a round cloak.

"You are too dangerous." Zabuza looked up from Kakashi's hand to the latter's eyes as the masked shinobi stood back up again, "Tazuna-san, whose life you're trying to kill, is this country's 'courage'. The bridge he seeks to build is this country's 'hope'; your ambition sacrifices too many people." The electricity around Kakashi's hand continued to flicker wildly as the two shinobi continued to stare down.

"That's not what a shinobi should do."

"I don't give a damn about your crap… I fight for my own ideals… and that shall continue!" Zabuza shouted in fury while Kakashi sighed reluctantly as he spoke once more.

"I will say this one last time: surrender. Your future is death."

Meanwhile, Naruto was staring at Haku in utter disbelief and hesitation upon hearing the boy's request. Sure, he understood that Haku went through something similar to him and Sayla but to hear him say that he wants to be killed; Naruto couldn't help but to feel the way he is feeling right now.

"Why are you hesitating…" Naruto clenched his teeth in frustration upon hearing the boy's persistence in his voice.

"I don't understand…" Naruto muttered before he began to shout to the feminine boy, "Is being strong the only reason for you to be alive?!" Haku remained silent as the whiskered tween continued to shout his opinion on the matter.

"Something other than fighting… You could've been acknowledged for something else…" Naruto lamented sadly while Haku's gaze softened slightly but retained his stand in his decision.

"The day I met you in the forest… I thought you were like me… So you should be able to understand what I'm talking about." Naruto became slightly shocked by the boy's words as he continued to hear him out, "I'm sorry that it has to be you that ends my pitiful life…"

"So there's… There's no other way to end this, is there?" Naruto stated reluctantly while Haku sadly shook his head in response. Seeing that the boy was prepared to accept his fate, Naruto clenched his fist as he let chakra run through his arm. Naruto hardened his gaze once more as his chakra turned his entire forearm yellowish-orange.

"Please… fulfill your dreams." Haku stated as Naruto turned to Sasuke and Natsu who was watching the commotion between the two. Turning back around, Naruto then allowed his chakra to take over his hand, transforming his fingers into claws.

"Sasuke… He too had a dream just like you and I… If we met under different circumstances, we might've become friends…" Naruto stated affirmingly before he began to run towards Haku who regretfully smiled for what may be the last time,

"_Thank you, Naruto… I know for a fact, you will become strong…_"

While Naruto was running towards Haku, they weren't paying attention to the mist that was beginning to fade away.

"Oh! The mist is beginning to fade away now…" Tazuna remarked as he saw the mist becoming less thicker by the second. Sakura was keeping her eyes towards the figures that were still covered with the remaining mist.

"There are two people over there! It looks like they're staring at each other…" Sakura stated while squinting her eyes to see more clearly. While Tazuna commented on how the mist was still preventing them from seeing who it was, Sakura was still trying to figure who was who in the remaining layers of mist.

"One of them's moving!" Sakura shouted when she saw one of the figures beginning to charge at the other.

"Uaaahhh!" Naruto shouted while reeling his right arm back with his claw-like fingers curled up. Haku watched as Naruto was getting closer and closer by the second. But then, just as Naruto was a few inches in front of him, Haku sensed something was off with the other fight occurring. Naruto swung his arm forward with the intent to claw the boy when Haku grabbed his wrist all of a sudden, ignoring the burns he was receiving from touching Naruto's chakra-infused arm.

"Sorry Naruto-kun! Change of plans!" Haku apologized while Naruto stared in shock at the feminine boy's sudden change of mind. The boy then weave multiple hand signs with his free arm and eventually lifted that hand up to his chest, "I can't die yet!"

Haku disappeared in a puff of smoke, shocking Naruto even more as he looked around the area for the tween. Kakashi, on the other hand, was just a few feet away from Zabuza who could only look in fear as the former was closing in by the second. The electricity from Kakashi's spell teared the ground beneath him as he was running towards his target. But unnoticeably to them, a mirror of ice was beginning to form right near them.

Kakashi had already lunged his arm forward when the mirror began to move in a manner of shielding Zabuza, catching both of their attentions. But it was too late as Kakashi's spell had already pierced through something, causing a huge shockwave to whip out. Blood spurted out all over the ground, including on Kakashi himself. The dogs restraining Zabuza disappeared as Kakashi could only stare in shock and horror at what he had just pierced. Instead of Zabuza, Kakashi's spell had pierced through Haku who had jumped in front of Zabuza to take the full brunt of the attack.

"Gaagghh." Haku spat out blood while a ton of it was still leaking from his pierced chest. Kakashi remained still while staring at the severely injured boy who threw himself in front of Zabuza to protect him.

"My future is death?" Zabuza stoically stated as he recovered from his brief state of shock, "Looks like you were wrong once more, Kakashi…"

* * *

Back at the town, to the civilians resting in their homes, it was just the usually depressing day, trying to survive. But as of this moment, thing might take a sudden change for the best. Especially since it involved a certain child banging on the wooden door to someone else's home.

"Giichi! Open up!" Inari yelled as he continued to knock on the door. "Come to the bridge with me! This time, if we all go there together, we can defeat Gatō's men!"

Jellal and Sayla accompanied the boy on his mother's behalf as they watch the boy try to persuade the villager to reclaim their homelands. But sadly, it would seem that everyone still feared the power Gatō and his men possess.

"I'm sorry, Inari…" An elderly voice replied back a few seconds later. "We don't want to fight anymore. Even your father… The man who was once our 'hero' is no longer here…"

Inari became silent upon hearing his father being mentioned. But even so, that didn't stop him from being brave. No, after everything he had seen because of Naruto, there was no way that he could give up just like that. Not when he just regained his own confidence.

"If we fight, there will be sacrifices… We don't want to lose anything precious to us ever again. Nobody in their right minds would do something that will cause them regrets in the end."

"... I don't want to have any regrets either." The older man heard Inari speak from the other side of the door. "That's why we have to fight… I love my mom, my grandpa, Giichi-san, and everyone in this city. Now I know that you can't protect something precious to you by just being a crybaby."

Inari turned to head back home while taking one last glance at the door. Seeing that he finished his business there, Jellal and Sayla began to head back to Tazuna's home as Inari followed soon after. Inside the house, the elderly Giichi could only lean on the door for support after hearing Inari's bold declaration.

"Inari has become a man… Are you really going to let him go by himself?" Giichi's wife chided as she too heard Inari's words. Giichi looked at the ground in thought while realizing that Inari had indeed become braver than anyone else in their home.

The three arrived back at the household as Inari quickly ran upstairs, catching everyone's interest. Once they saw him came back downstairs with a black helmet and a small crossbow strapped to his back, they realized where Inari was intending to go.

"Inari, just where do you think you're going?! It's too dangerous to go to the bridge right now!" Tsunami scolded her son while ordering him to stop in the process. The younger boy didn't listen as he continued to put on his sandals.

"We already went throughout the entire city but no one wanted to help… I have to do this, Okaa-san."

"But-" Tsunami tried to persuade her son otherwise until she felt Jellal place a hand on her shoulder.

"Daijoubu, Tsunami-san. He won't be going alone because we'll be going as well." Jellal reassured the widowed mother. Wendy tried her best to keep her confidence up as she nodded in agreement. Sayla, however, remained silent as she watched Inari begin to head towards the patched-up door with his crossbow in tact.

"I know that I'm still a child… But I know what it means to fight. Because… I'm my father's kid." Inari declared as Tsunami tensed up in shock upon hearing Inari speak about his stepfather fondly again. As she took in her son's words, she didn't realized until the last second that Inari had opened the door and was about to leave with Jellal, Wendy, and Sayla following him.

"Wait, you're-" Inari said in shock when he gazed upon what was waiting in front of the doorsteps.

* * *

"That guy… Where did he go?" Naruto complained as he looked all around for Haku once he disappeared. That was when he noticed that the mist was almost gone as he could see everything clearly to an extent. Naruto turned to the left in a 60 degree angle and spotted three figures not too far from him.

The whiskered blonde began to run towards the figures as the mist eventually cleared out. Once he was at least a few feet away, Naruto could only stare at the scene with a mixture of confusion, shock, and horror. Haku was literally pierced through the heart by Kakashi's hand while Zabuza remained unharmed. Fortunately, he wasn't the only one who was witnessing this as well.

"Is- Isn't that the masked boy?" Sakura commented with a bit of pity when she saw the condition Haku was in. Kakashi was trying to get his hand out of the boy's chest but Haku had gotten a hold of his arm, gripping it tightly so he couldn't escape.

"Hehe… Good job, Haku." Zabuza heartlessly complimented the boy as Kakashi noticed the emotionless gaze in the boy's eyes. Once he stopped trying to remove his hand from Haku, he then realized that most of the colors in his eyes had dimmed out.

"_This boy… is already dead."_ Kakashi thought with a tinge of sympathy when he noticed Zabuza grab ahold of the handle to his giant cleaver. "_He's planning to cut through the both of us!_"

"Kakashi-sensei!"

"I'm glad that I managed to pick up such a useful tool! Giving me this one final chance..!" Naruto clenched his teeth in anger when he heard those words. Kakashi grabbed ahold of Haku's body with his unoccupied arm and managed to leap away from Zabuza's wide swing.

Once he landed just a couple of inches away from Zabuza, Kakashi kneeled and placed Haku on the ground, removing his hand from his chest in the process.

"With Haku dead… You can move once more." The missing-nin commented stoically, making Naruto infuriated with how Zabuza was just tossing aside Haku's death like it was nothing.

"Naruto, stay back. This is my fight." The masked shinobi stated when he noticed Naruto standing a few inches away. Knowing what his thought process was, Kakashi told him those words as he used his blood-soaked hand to close Haku's eyes.

"Naruto, you're alright!" Sakura called out when she saw Naruto standing in the distance. But once she didn't see Natsu and Sasuke however, did her relief started to wither a bit. "Naruto, where are Natsu and Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto cringed at the fact Sakura had mentioned Sasuke's name, causing him to fully adjust to the fact Sasuke was dead. Not knowing what to tell the long pink-haired girl, Naruto kept silent as he heard her once more ask about Sasuke. When Sakura saw the look on Naruto's face when he was refusing to answer, she realized that something must've happened to Sasuke.

Kakashi slightly looked from the corner of his eye and saw a couple of feet from Naruto, Natsu watching over what seems to be Sasuke's body. The masked shinobi then checked the atmosphere for any signs of Sasuke's ethernano still flowing around. In the end, it turned out to be hopeless as Kakashi couldn't find any trace of it.

"This isn't the best time for you to be sight-seeing, Kakashi!" Zabuza shouted as he charged towards Kakashi while holding onto his _Kubikiribōchō_ with his uninjured arm. He then swung the blade in a wide arc again but like last time, Kakashi dodged it and managed to kick Zabuza in the chest. The swordsman coughed in pain as he felt some of the air in his lungs leave him.

While Tazuna saw the battle commence once more, he noticed from the corner of his eye Sakura slightly shaking. Realizing what was on the girl's mind, he slightly leaned over to her height and spoke. "I'll go with you to see them. Then you won't be breaking your sensei's orders."

"... Ok." Sakura silently agreed as she took ahold of Tazuna's hand and pulled him with her as she ran. They passed Naruto while they made their way towards Natsu and Sasuke. Once they had passed the whiskered blonde, they didn't noticed the blonde's shoulder began to shake as he too was mourning the loss of a precious life.

Sakura and Tazuna managed to arrive where Natsu and Sasuke were. They were relieved to see Natsu still alive regardless of his injuries. But that lasted for a few seconds until they saw Sasuke's skewed body. Tazuna turned his head away from the sight while Sakura stared at the body in deep and utter shock. She then turned her head towards Natsu and the slightly younger boy looked up at Sakura's eyes, seeing them silently asked if this was all fake. The _Dragon Slayer _solemnly shook his negatively while some tears seeped out of his eyes.

Sakura then kneeled next to Sasuke's body and touched his cheek for any signs of life. Once she did, she couldn't feel any signs, confirming Natsu's answer.

"He's cold… He really is…" Sakura sadly accepted the reality of the situation while Tazuna could only stare in sympathy.

"Don't mind me… Sometimes… It's best not to hide it and just let it all out at once."

"I…" Tazuna looked up from the ground and towards the pink-haired girl when she spoke. Natsu too snapped out of his stupor and just listened to whatever Sakura was going to say. "I always got every answer right in the Ninja Academy. I memorized over 100 shinobi sayings and I always wrote the correct answer to every single question… I even read the entire index on the laws of the Magic Council and their regulations for the legal guilds."

"But… There was this one question that appear in a test from long ago… It was 'Write down shinobi saying #25.' I wrote the right answer as usual…" Tazuna and Natsu stared in confusion at Sakura's current explanation but they didn't get at what she was trying to tell them. It was when they saw her beginning to shake as she began to tear up, that was when they realized the true meaning of her words. "No matter the situation… A shinobi must keep her emotions in tact. You must make the mission your top priority, and you must possess a heart that never shows tears…"

Sakura became silent for a brief second before she began bawling her eyes out. The teardrops dripped down from her cheek and onto Sasuke's face as she continued to cry. Natsu stared at the pink-haired girl apologetically while trying to keep himself from crying as well. The old bridge-builder remained strong as he just watched Sakura mourn for Sasuke's death while silently projecting a prayer for the boy,

"_So this is the way of a Shinobi… It's too harsh; even for someone as young as her…_"

"UUWWWAAAHHH!"

Naruto clenched his chest tightly as he heard the loud bawling. He was starting to wonder if this was what Haku had to deal with when he was younger. Either way, it didn't suit the blonde tween well as he could only regret not being able to help Sasuke without revealing his true power. But in the end, the blonde knew that it was impossible, considering Kurama warned him many times in the past not to overuse _that power_. If he did, then he can be corrupted by its power if he gave into his rattled emotions.

Zabuza wasn't faring well, on the other hand, against Kakashi. The former was on his knee, panting heavily as he leaned on his giant cleaver for support.

"Why… why can't I keep up with him?" Zabuza mumbled to himself as he felt the pain surged from the kunai that were in his arms. Kakashi was observing him with his usual stoic eyes but in the swordsman's mind, the masked shinobi was looking down on him. Seething with rage, the swordsman stood back up as he lifted his sword again while he ran towards his target.

"Dammit!" Zabuza yelled out as he wielded his sword to cut through Kakashi once more. But Kakashi back-handed the swordsman not a moment too soon. Zabuza coughed out in pain but he soon got back up and swung his sword in a wide arc once again. But the giant cleaver hit solid ground as Kakashi appeared right behind him while gripping the swordsman's minorly injured arm.

"You haven't noticed…? You can't beat me in your current state; it's over." Kakashi said while Zabuza just remained frozen in shock at Kakashi's words. Turning around behind him, the swordsman tried once more to cut down Kakashi. The masked shinobi wouldn't have it as he leaned slightly below the sword's angle and took out a kunai from his kunai case on his leg. With precise precision, the shinobi then stabbed the kunai deep into Zabuza's arm, severely piercing the muscle tissues in the appendage.

"Urgh!" Zabuza grunted in pain as he threw off Kakashi and his blade at the same time upon losing the feeling in his right arm. Kakashi instantly recovered and landed on his feet soon after he was flinged. Naruto observed the ongoing battle as he saw the swordsman's arms wobble as he got up, signifying the condition of the appendages.

"Now both of your arms are useless to you now. You can't perform any more hand signs or use that giant sword of yours this instant." Kakashi remarked while Zabuza could only grunt and listened to the masked shinobi's words.

Just as the masked shinobi was just about to make a move, a slightly loud clonk was heard not too far from them.

"My, oh my. You're getting your ass handed to you, eh Zabuza?"

The two shinobis along with the majority of everyone else turned to the voice and saw Gatō approaching with a large horde of bandits not far behind them.

"How disappointing…"

"Gatō… What's the meaning of this? And who are all of these men you got behind you?!" Zabuza asked in slight surprise while Kakashi silently figured out the merchant's motive.

"Hehehe… It's quite simple actually if you think about it." Gatō taunted arrogantly as he continued speaking. "Ever since the beginning, I actually had this plan in mind… Zabuza, I'm going to have you killed here on this spot."

"What?" The injured swordsman quietly spoke as the millionaire started to walk towards Haku's dead corpse.

"You see, I never actually planned on paying you if you catched on yet. Hiring a normal ninja from one of the five villages is expensive and they might betray me. So I get you Missing-nins who are easy to take care of afterwards. I have them fight against the enemies I pick and once the numbers are decreased, I have them killed off plain and simple. From there, it doesn't cause me anything, does it?"

"The only problem this time was you, Zabuza… _The Demon of the Hidden Mist (Kirigakure no Kijin)_? What a sad excuse for a joke… From what I see, you're just a cute baby devil."

Zabuza narrowed his glare at his former employer as he was standing just a few inches away from Haku's body.

"YEAH! WE CAN EASILY KILL YOU NOW!" The bandits cried out in unison at the status of their current task.

"There's… There's so many of them… I can probably wipe the floor with them easily but…" Naruto quietly told himself but then thought about the condition of Natsu and Sakura along with Tazuna. Seeing that if he were to be caught off-guard for a brief second, they may get caught in the crossfire as a result.

"Kakashi, I'm sorry. But this fight is over… Now that I don't have a reason to kill Tazuna, we don't need to fight anymore." Kakashi remained silent for a brief second before to Naruto's shock, he slightly nodded in agreement.

"Yeah… you're right."

"Now that I think about it," Gatō said as if he just suddenly remembered something he forgot, "I own this one for squeezing my arm to the point that it broke."

The merchant stared down at Haku's body while tapping his cold face with the tip of his shoe. Zabuza and Kakashi watched the man as they noticed the cast on his left arm. Having decided on how to get his payback for his arm, Gatō kicked Haku's corpse, making the head turned to the left from the force of the kick.

"Oh, he's dead. I guess he couldn't feel that, huh?"

"YOU BASTARD!" Naruto shouted out infuriatingly as he felt Kurama's power resonate inside him once more. The blonde then began to charge towards the merchant, catching his attention. Kakashi managed to grab Naruto by the hood, stopping him from charging into what would seem to be a reckless battle.

"Naruto, calm down! Don't just charge in because of your anger; think about their numbers and what will happen if you have your attention elsewhere!"

Naruto struggled to get out of Kakashi's grip but once the latter spoke, the blonde calmed down but then turned his attention towards Zabuza.

"Oi! Why didn't you do anything to stop him?! Weren't you and Haku supposed to be friends?!" The whiskered blonde shouted in fury at the ex-Kirigakure shinobi. Zabuza remained indifferent at the blonde tween's attitude as he turned away from Haku's body.

"Shut up gaki. Haku is already dead."

"Wha- Don't you feel anything at all!? Weren't the two of you always together?!" Naruto yelled in anger at Zabuza's cold and unconcerned response.

"I have used Haku, just like how Gatō used me. That was all there is to it; in the world of the shinobi, there are those who are used, and those who used the said beings. We shinobis are only tools… So that's why I wanted him for his blood, not for what kind of person he was. I have no regrets about that."

"Do… Do you really mean that?" Naruto spoke once more but Kakashi interrupted the blonde tween before he could speak any further.

"Naruto, it's over. We don't have to fight him anymore, he's not our-"

"I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT!" Naruto yelled out as he got out of Kakashi's grip and pointed heatedly at Zabuza. "AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, HE'S ENEMY#1!"

Zabuza looked at Naruto from the corner of his eye with disinterest while Kakashi watched the tween panted from yelling. Gatō, as well, was staring at the whiskered blonde like he was some sort of fly in the water.

"Who's the annoying brat?" The merchant inquired but was ignored entirely as Naruto then pointed at Haku's body while keeping his gaze at the wounded Kirigakure shinobi.

"He… He really loved you! He loved you that much!" Naruto shouted angrily as he begun to remembered Haku's words during their first meeting and their fight.

"_Do you have someone that's important to you?"_

"_When a person has someone or something important to protect, that's why people strive to become stronger. Seeing as you have those things yourself, you can understand what I'm trying to say, right?"_

"Do you really feel nothing at all whatsoever?! Do you?!" Zabuza turned his eye from Naruto as he continued to remain silent.

"_Becoming a true shinobi is difficult for me…"_

"_I want to protect someone precious to me. To work for that person. To fight for that person… and to make that person's dreams come true. That is.. my dream."_

"If I… If I became as strong as you… Will I really turn out the same as you?! He threw away his entire life for YOU!" Naruto continued to yell as tears began to drip down his face while remembering more of Haku's last few moments of living.

"Without his own dream… To die as a tool…"

"_I was so happy! I was glad that there was someone who could accept me for who I am regardless of my blood!" _

"I… I can't even compare my life with his… Even though I… I… I know just how painful it is to lose something and not having a reason to live… It's just… too sad…"

Naruto eventually stopped his angry tantrum as he felt more tears beginning to well up in his eyes. The whiskered blonde just continued to let his true feelings out as he sniffled and sobbed for Haku. That was until he heard Zabuza suddenly speak out to him.

"You… You really talk too much, gaki…" Naruto looked up towards the Kirigakure shinobi who just remained still in his spot with no hostility in his voice. Not knowing what to say at this, the blonde tween was about to ask Zabuza what he meant until he saw the older shinobi turn around, tears were also falling down on his face as well.

"But your words… They really are more powerful than any blade…"

Naruto stopped sobbing when he saw the tears running down Zabuza's face. Kakashi remained silent as he too understood what Naruto was implying in his tantrum. Zabuza turned back around as he looked up to the sky as if he was looking for Haku there.

"Gaki… It pained Haku to have to fight you… He fought for not only me… But he was fighting for you guys as well… He was too kind." Zabuza confessed to the shell-shocked blonde before tearing the bandages off of his face with his teeth. Once he revealed what was underneath the bandages, Zabuza began to speak once more.

"But I'm glad that our last opponents were you guys to the very end. Yeah gaki… You might be right. A shinobi is still a human regardless of their emotions or not… We might not be able to become emotionless tools as we thought."

"Oi gaki, hand me that kunai near your foot!" Naruto looked down at the ground and saw a bloody kunai near his foot like Zabuza said there was. Picking it up from the clean handle, Naruto gazed at the weapon while realizing Zabuza's current intent. Seeing that there was no changing his mind, the whiskered blonde closed his eyes in pain as he threw the kunai towards the Kirigakure shinobi.

"Here."

As Zabuza heard the kunai flying towards him, he began to reminisce about Haku from the time he took him under his wing up to the present. Once the kunai was descending in front of his face, Zabuza moved his head towards it and grabbed the sharp weapon from the handle with his teeth. Once he got a strong grip with his teeth, the swordsman began to charge towards Gatō, startling the millionaire merchant.

"Wha- Okay that's enough! Kill him! Kill him now!" Gatō cried out in desperation as he began to run away through the horde of bandits.

"YEAH!" The bandits cried out in unison as they watched Zabuza approaching at breakneck speed while smirking arrogantly at the latter's condition.

"One badly injured ninja against all of us with just a small kunai? Just how desperate is he to fight?" One of the bandits commented at Zabuza's weak conditions. But he soon regretted saying that when Zabuza suddenly appeared in front of him with his upper body pulled back.

And in an instant, Zabuza quickly sliced the poor bandit by the collarbone once he reeled himself back. This got the bandits in a panic as Zabuza continued to slice and kill each and every bandit that crossed his path.

"A… A devil!" One bandit cried out as he saw an apparition of a demon's head hovering above Zabuza as he continued to kill.

But as he continued to fight, his wounds have begun to catch up to him, allowing some of the unharmed bandits to stab their spears and katanas into his body. This didn't hinder Zabuza as he continued to make his way through the crowd and towards Gatō. Speaking of whom, the millionaire was hiding at the very back of the horde just at the end of the unconstructed bridge. While he knew that some of his bandits wouldn't make it, it didn't matter to him. In the end, that would mean he had less people to pay in the long run.

To his shock however, Zabuza managed to cut through a majority of them as he managed to get passed the ones Gatō was hiding behind. The merchant could only watch in fear as Zabuza charged towards him with a strained grin on his face. Once he was close to Gatō, the swordsman thrusted the kunai into the right side of the man's chest, staggering as he came to a halt. Gatō spat out blood while a few of the bandits snapped out of their stupor and ran towards the two with their weapons pointed at Zabuza.

"Just die already!" One of the bandits cried out as he stabbed his weapon into Zabuza's back. The others followed his example and stabbed all of their weapons into Zabuza. But this didn't faze the swordsman in the slightest while Gatō wheezed as he tried to speak.

"I… If you want to die so badly to see your friend… Then just go already, damn you…" The millionaire gasped while Zabuza weakly chuckled in response to Gatō's remark.

"Unfortunately… I don't plan on going to the same place as Haku… Because you and I…" Zabuza turned his head up to look up at the merchant. Gatō's eyes widened in shock and horror when he saw the bloodlust in Zabuza's eyes.

"Are going straight to Hell!" Zabuza yelled as he harshly pulled the kunai out of Gatō when he reeled his upper body back.

"I heard there were plenty of demons dwelling within there. So as the _Demon of the Hidden Mist_, I think I'll be able to fit in quite well!" Zabuza cried out as he lunged forward again, slicing the merchant in the chest. The merchant cried out in pain as he started to stagger from receiving the attack. "This will be fun! We'll have plenty of time to see if I'm just a baby devil or not!"

Zabuza crouched down as he turned his head in a 45 degree angle as he prepared to kill Gatō with one final slash. The aforementioned men could only watched in fear as the demonic aura around Zabuza became one with the swordsman. And in an instant, Zabuza quickly slashed Gato diagonally from the left torso to the shoulder blade, causing the man to fall off the bridge and into the water below.

The few remaining bandits slowly backed away in fear that they will end up like their now-deceased employer. Zabuza slowly walked forward as Kakashi and Naruto especially kept their attention towards the mortally wounded shinobi. Zabuza felt his wounds act up but that didn't stop him from gazing at the other bandits with the same murderous eyes he had for Gatō. The majority of bandits began to run back to the boat they came from while a few remained frozen on the spot, thinking on how Zabuza managed to kill despite of his injuries.

"_Forgive me, Haku…_" Zabuza thought to himself as he let his body finally succumb to the wounds it acquired and released the kuna from his mouth. "_I'm afraid this is goodbye… But… Thank you for everything that you've done for me…_"

Zabuza collapsed forward with his the front of his body facing the ground. Naruto watched with shock when the swordsman collapsed and was about to turn his head away when Kakashi spoke.

"Don't look away... from the end of a man who lived a difficult life…"

"Yeah." Naruto's face scrunched up in discomfort at the reality but nevertheless he obeyed and kept his eyes on Zabuza's body.

Meanwhile, Sakura kept on crying on Sasuke's chest while Natsu and Tazuna observed the sight with sympathetic eyes. But Natsu suddenly heard a strange thumping nearby, snapping him out of his trance. The boy then homed in on the sound and realized that the sound was coming from Sasuke's body.

Natsu's suspicions came true as he saw Sasuke's eyes begin to slightly open up as he could hear the boy quietly speak.

"Sakura…" The girl instantly stopped her crying when she heard the supposed 'dead' Sasuke speak her name. "You're heavy…"

Sakura and Tazuna stared at Sasuke in shock as he turned his head to look towards Sakura. The mentioned girl began to quiver out of relief and happiness as more tears fall from her eyes. Then at unpredicting speed, Sakura quickly lifted Sasuke and hugged him tightly.

"WAAAAAAHHHH! Sasuke-kun! Sasuke-Kun!" The girl repeatedly stated as she continued to hold Sasuke while she cried. Natsu also shedded tears of happiness as well but tried to act indifferent about it though.

"Sakura… You're hurting me…" Sasuke wheezed, causing the pink-haired girl to stop hugging him and pulled away apologetically. "What about Naruto? And the masked kid…?" Sasuke tried to get back onto his knee but he still felt the senbons in his body act up.

"Sasuke-kun, don't move! Naruto is fine, and the masked kid… He's dead."

Sasuke turned towards Sakura in shock upon hearing about Haku's death. Seeing that the girl wasn't telling a lie, Sasuke became curious if Naruto actually was able to defeat him when he couldn't.

"Dead? Did Naruto kill him?"

"No…" Sakura responded while she continued her explanation when she looked into Sasuke's eyes. "I'm not sure what happened at the time, but in the end, he died protecting Zabuza."

"I see…" Sasuke turned his head away once he was able to get an answer on the situation. He mostly zoned out Sakura's praise for him and how he was able to survive from being hit with several senbons. It was then that he realized why he was able to survive even though many of his pressure points were cut off.

"_He… From the very beginning…_"

"NARUTO!" The mentioned blonde turned his head upon hearing Sakura's voice. When he did turn around, his eyes widened at the sight before him.

"Sasuke-kun is alive! He's alright!" Sakura yelled out to Naruto while the latter saw Sasuke stand on his own two feet. Once the blonde saw the raven-haired boy nonchalantly raised his arm in the air, Naruto felt relief take over his body as he sighed contently.

Naruto then turned towards Haku's corpse and remembered Zabuza saying on how Haku was too kind and he was also fighting for them as well. The whiskered blonde smiled at the thought while thinking about the possibility that in the end, Haku never really wanted to kill them in the first place.

"I was worried for a bit as well… But it would seem like that everything's alright now." Kakashi commented as well when he slightly turned his head to see Natsu supporting Sasuke once the latter regain his balance.

"HEY! HEY! HEY!" The group turned their attention towards the group of bandits that remained in the area. "You guys are getting too at ease right now!"

"Damn ninjas… Because of you guys, we all just lost our meal ticket! So now, we're going to kill all of you and plunge this village to take anything valuable here as payment!" One of the bandits cried out as many others began to shout in agreement.

"YEAH!"

The bandits began to charge towards the group as they watched them getting closer and closer by the second. Not wanting to waste his _Tailed Beast Magic (Bijū no Mahō)_ on lowly bandits, Naruto turned towards Kakashi to see if he had any ideas in mind.

"Damn… This is bad…"

"Kakashi-sensei! Don't you have some kind of spell that you can use to defeat them easily?!"

"I can't…" Kakashi shook his head negatively as he continued to observe the mob of bandits. "After using the _Lightning Cutter_ and the _Sharingan_, I used up too much of my chakra and ethernano…"

All hope seemed lost at the moment as the bandits had almost reached them and they were just about to step over Haku's corpse. It was around then that a single arrow suddenly flew towards them and pierced the ground in front of the horde. The mob stopped in their tracks, curious as to where the arrow came from. Naruto, Kakashi, and the others had the same thoughts as they turned around behind them and were utterly gobsmacked to say the least. Right in front of their sights, Inari along with Wendy, Jellal, and Sayla were standing with the entire populace of the _Land of Waves (Nami no Kuni)_ at their backs, various weapons and farming utensils in hand.

"There's just one thing you should know before you take one foot in our island." Giichi stated as the villagers up front along with Inari readied their crossbows. "If you want to invade this precious land, you'll have to go through all of us."

"Inari! You guys! You came!" Naruto cried out happily as the younger girl began to run towards the blonde and wrapped her arms around Naruto's waist.

"Naruto-san! Thank goodness you're right!" Wendy cried out as Jellal and Sayla slowly approached the two as Inari wiped his nose with his thumb in a confident manner.

"Well, as they say, a hero always shows up at the last second, am I right?" Inari replied cheekily as Naruto chuckled in amusement upon hearing Jellal's comment about who gave him that one-liner.

"Inari… everyone…" Tazuna managed to say before he felt the tears in his eyes beginning to drip.

"Wendy… I need you to go to Sasuke and patch him up. He has gotten much worse wounds that needs healing." The little girl looked up towards the blonde's face and was hesitant to let go. Jellal placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, catching her attention as he nodded in agreement once he saw Sasuke's condition. Wendy looked back at Naruto and nodded as she let go of him and started to run towards Sasuke and Natsu.

"Alright Jellal, Sayla! Let's show these guys what we're made of! Naruto shouted pridefully while Jellal began to chuckle, stopping Naruto from making a hand sign and turning his eyes towards the latter. "Oi, what's so funny?!"

"Nothing, nothing! But are you sure you can handle it? You look like you used up a lot of power…" Jellal responded back while Naruto teasingly scoffed back while smirking once more.

"It doesn't matter… Especially since I can do this though!" Naruto wrapped both of his arms underneath Jellal's and Sayla's arms while making his usual hand sign.

"_Shadow Clone Magic (Kage Bunshin no Mahō)_!" A puff of smoke appeared around the three, concealing their presence. The smoke eventually cleared and in its place, two clones for each tween appeared behind them.

"Wh-What in the world!?" The bandits cried out in shock as they observed the scene dubiously but cautiously as well.

"No way… You can actually this much with your _Shadow Clone _spell as well?" Jellal commented fascinatingly. Naruto just chuckled in amusement at Jellal's state of shock while Sayla too could only stare at her clones in shock and curiosity.

"Well, I might as well help him out. It might be able to fool them…" Kakashi muttered to himself as he too made the same hand sign as Naruto.

"_Shadow Clone Magic: Kakashi Style!_" A puff of smoke appeared behind the masked shinobi as a whole squadron of _Shadow Clones_ appeared behind him.

The bandits began to panic upon seeing the vast number of clones suddenly appearing before them. They were panicked to the point that some of them were already backing away before they did anything rash.

"Alright, still think you can take us all on?" Kakashi and his clones spoke in unison, causing more anxiety and fear to develop inside of the bandits.

"**NO THANKS**!"

With that, the bandits hastily began to retreat back to their boat, some of them dropping their weapons in the process. While some of them managed to get onto the boat, there were some that accidently fell into the water in desperation. Once everyone saw that all of the bandits have retreated, the civilians hoisted their weapons up into the air as they cheered triumphingly at successfully scaring the bandits off.

"We did it!" The people cried out jovially as they begun to celebrate at the victory they just acheived. Naruto also laughed cheerfully as he toppled back and forth in an energetic manner, moving Jellal and Sayla as well. Jellal could only laugh as well from Naruto's behavior while Sayla stared at the blonde's smile but nevertheless allowed Naruto to enjoy his little celebration routine.

The _Shadow Clones_ Naruto and Kakashi summoned disappeared in a puff of smoke while the real Kakashi began to walk towards Zabuza's body. With little life he had left, the dying Zabuza managed to hear Kakashi's footsteps coming closer towards him.

"It looks like it's over, Kakashi…" The swordsman rasped out as the masked shinobi stopped a few feet away from Zabuza.

"Yes…" Kakashi nodded in agreement while he lifted his hand over his headband to pull it over his _Sharingan._

"Kakashi… I have a request…" Kakashi stopped moving as he listened to Zabuza's request. "I want… to see his face… one last time…"

"Of course." Kakashi said after he pulled his headband over his _Sharingan_. The masked shinobi carefully pulled out the weapons embedded in Zabuza's body. Once he managed to did that, Kakashi lifted Zabuza's body into his arms and carried him towards Haku's body.

As Kakashi approached Haku's corpse, snow had begun to fall down from the sky, catching everyone's attention as they stopped whatever they were doing.

"Huh? It's snowing…" Naruto said while unraveling his arms from Jellal's and Sayla's as they looked up to the sky. The civilians did the same as well while Wendy looked up to the sky as she continued to heal Sasuke's wounds.

"Snow? At this time of year?" A man said as he and the others continued to watch the snow continue to fall. Zabuza, while he was being carried, took note of the falling snow and subconsciously realized the meaning behind the snow.

"_Haku… Are you crying?_"

Kakashi finally reached Haku's body and gently placed Zabuza's body down next to the corpse. Zabuza thanked the masked shinobi as he weakly turned his head to the left to look at Haku's sleeping face.

"_You have always been at the side… So at the very least, I would like to be by your side at the end._" Zabuza commented in his mind as he slowly lifted his hand toward Haku's face and gently touched the boy's face.

"If I could… I would've liked to go… to the same place… as you are now…" Zabuza said with his dying breath before he felt his body shut off. Zabuza's hand fell onto the ground near Haku's head as his eyes closed for the last time. A lone snowdrop fell onto Haku's eye and melted instantly, symbolizing Haku crying just as Zabuza died.

"He… Haku was born in a village… Where it snowed a lot there…" Naruto revealed when he felt tears beginning to drop when he sensed Haku's spirit in the air. Jellal looked at Naruto for a brief second before turning to the two bodies, closing his eyes to pray for the two _Kirigakure_ shinobi. Sayla's eyes slightly softened at the blonde's words as she too closed her eyes to let Zabuza and Haku rest in peace.

"I see… He was a boy as pure as the snow itself…" Kakashi said as he looked at the two bodies sympathetically.

"_Who knows for sure, Zabuza… Maybe, just maybe… You might be able to go to the same place as Haku is now. Together..._"

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**And with that, this chapter concludes the Land of Waves arc and seemingly Part I of this story. The next chapter will be like a breather and a introduction for Part II while showing the aftermath of Part I. And so, the next chapter will probably be a lot easier to write and so it will probably be uploaded faster as well. But nevertheless, I'm looking forward to continue writing this especially since I'll be able to have more fun with writing the future events coming up!**

**Thanks for reading and be sure to review if you like the chapter.**


	16. Part I Conclusion: Secluded Chieftain

Fairy Tail's Tailed Beast Slayer (滅尾獣のフェアリーテイル/Metsubijū no Fearī Teiru)

Chapter 15: Secluded Chieftain

_Disclaimer: I do not own Fairy Tail or Naruto. Fairy Tail belongs to Hiro Mashima while Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto._

* * *

_October X777_,

In a barren fortress located on some kind of floating island, two strange beings are walking through the hallways of the medieval-like building. One of them was bearing armor over his head and his back, along with some pieces of armor on his forearms. His entire body was mostly brownish-gold along with some dark mahogany stripes on his arms, fingers, and stubbed legs.

"So Schuld-san, have you heard about the new member that Kyouka-san brought in herself? The strange armored being asked his companion as they walked towards the hall where they usually gather.

"Naturally, my dear Franmalth." The now-named Franmalth's companion replied back, "After all, from what I hear, it would seem that our new friend has some extraordinary potential within him that interests our beloved Kyōka."

Schuld was just as round and plump as Franmalth, but unlike the latter, the being's attire is really formal and his skin is lavender. The being dons a really formal white waistcoat over a huge black vest and a polka-dotted tie. He also wears purplish-black pants and matching shoes to boot as his attire couldn't be complete without a white top hat and white gloves. Overall, Schuld has the appearance of a gentlemen, if it wasn't for the umbrella with a pumpkin-shaped stump and his head is similar to that of a grinning goblin.

"Gihihihi… I wonder how much power the newbie has in him for Kyouka-san to be interested in. Like how much? How much?"

Schuld could only laugh in agreement with his fellow member as they entered the place they were heading to: a gathering hall that was mostly dark with a few small purplish-globs glowing in the room for light. Inside the room, the two could spot out a few others standing in various places in the room. At the very far right of the room, there was a reddish-pink shark-like creature standing there in a hunched position. For the most part, it had a black fur-collared coat that expose his bare torso with belts wrapped diagonally on it. The creature also bore tannish-peach pants along with shoes over his small and stubby legs.

Standing not too far from the shark-like being was a dark peach man with greenish-yellow hair. He looked like a generic human at first glance until anyone saw the strange thorn-like spikes protruding from his shoulders and the straw-like fur growing on his wrist and ankles. His attire consisted of a standard brownish-orange cheongsam with only the left side covered while the right side of his chest was exposed. He also wore baggy pale black pants that went to the fur on his ankles and he's also barefooted, revealing his mammal-like feet.

Towards the left of the room and a little closer to the entrance, two people stood there, watching Franmalth and Schuld enter. Both looked like human just like the other one but only one of them stood out like a human. The aforementioned person had slicked black hair and wore platinum-gray armor with the words 'Absolute Zerø' on it and had a long white cape attached to it. He had a fur collared shirt underneath the chest armor as the pauldrons on his shoulders had a strange symbol on each of them. He wore brown pants that are tucked in his blackish-brown boots and also sports large brown gloves that reach his forearms. What really standed out about the man was the large scar that went down from the center of his forehead and towards his left eye.

The other person looked human but just like the other being at the right side of the room, he too had features that weren't humane. His upper face was mostly concealed by a white tengu mask but there was small white tusks extruding from his mouth. The being also had a small goatee that blended with his long sideburns. His sharp hands seemed to have strange goo-like substances around the base of the knuckles and there were strange stripes going from his neck and over his chest. His attire consisted of a traditional navy-blue kimono complied with a black haori and a light tan hakama tied together with the kimono via a grayish-black obi. He had straw sandals to walk around in and bore a large sakkat, covering his long black and white hair. In addition, tied around his chest was a thin string that held a giant paintbrush to his back.

Last but not least, at the very center of the room, two more figures were standing there in the hall. One of them was a living skeleton bearing a large golden-yellow head ornament and sporting a cloak that had a large checkered patterned collar pointed upwards. Underneath the cloak, it wore traditional robes along with a white sash around the waist and a green necktie at the base of the collar.

The other being had his face concealed in a hood, revealing only his snout and beard. In addition, some of his dirty blonde hair could be seen underneath the hood he's wearing. His attire consisted of a dark brown tunic that had a hood attached to it over a baggy tan-colored shirt. He also had pants which were tucked into tall boots that were covered up with knee-length armor plates.

"Well now, it would seem that all of us have now gathered so quickly. I was so sure we had more time..." The pudgy goblin commented without even losing the grin on his face.

"And it would seem like that your lack of time is still kicking in, Schuld." The man next to the shark being responded back. "I would to assume you have been looking for people to trick into resurrecting their dead and turning them into your weapons.

"Why of course, Muwang. After all, the purest of souls always turned out to the strongest of my _Akumas_. That is… if you want to have a close-up demonstration of their power, I'll be glad to show you."

"Muwang. Schuld. That's enough. We didn't gather here for the both of you to argue amongst ourselves. It'll bring disgrace to our guild." The shark being interrupted the confrontation before things were to get out of hand.

"And you would interrupt our fun little chat, dear Torafusa… But that is your past time, trying to keep the stability of your guild on your two shoulder. I still wonder how you managed to keep your composure after all of this arguing you've been stopping." Schuld playfully taunted Torafusa while the others watched in silence at the display.

"I see that all of you haven't changed in the slightest since our last gathering…" A feminine voice spoke, catching the attention of the others. Schuld and Torafusa also ceased their little quarrel as they turned towards the entrance of the hall. Entering the room now was Kyōka with her usual calm but sinister smirk as she walked into the room. She abandoned the cloak she had on while traveling, showing her masked face and her revealing attire.

"Ah, Kyouka-chan. I see that you're as stunning as ever…" Schuld slightly bowed upon seeing the female demon walked towards the center of the room. Kyōka turned towards Torafusa and Schuld and noticed the round goblin still had that wide smirk on his face.

"And I see that you're just as playful as always, Schuld. But that is to be expected… considering that you are the strongest of the _Nine Demon Gates (Kyūkimon)_. But as of right now, we will no longer be called the _Nine Demon Gates_."

Some of the beings in the room stared at the female demon questionally until they sensed another person entering the room. Turning their attention back to the entrance, they see a black-haired boy entered the room with a quiet but deadly aura. His face was concealed with a purplish-blue/red mask that was shaped like an ox's skull. He had a standard kimono on but what was strange about it was the really long sleeve that covered his right arm. Everyone could see that he looked human but he wasn't really due to his bat-like ears.

"So… This is the new recruit that you found, Kyouka-san. Although… I expected him to look a bit older though." Franmalth commented at the boy's appearance which the latter heard but didn't say anything due to his nature. Kyōka's smirk only grew as she gently combed her sharp talons through the boy's hair.

"Not to worry, Franmalth. He may look young… But I can assure you, his power is definitely something to be feared."

"What do you mean, Kyouka? Are you saying that he's already at our level of _Curse Power (Juryoku)_?" The masked being asked in a calm but curious manner while everyone stared at the boy with the same eyes.

"It's not just his _Curse Power_, Krāsa. I looked more in-depth in his _Curse _(_Juhō_) and I believe that his power may be capable of wiping out all _Ethernano_ in this world."

"Wiping out all _Ethernano_? Isn't that a bit exaggerated, Kyouka? Surely a kid like him couldn't have that kind of immense power?" Muwang questioned the she-demon who still retained her smirk.

"But he does, Muwang."

Everyone in the room turned to the source of the voice and saw someone else entering the room. The new arrival looked exactly like a young man with long black hair tied in a ponytail and shoulder-length sidetails. The man wore a long black flame-patterned jacket with the cuffs rolled up. Underneath the jacket, he also wore a frilly black v-necked shirt with a buckle just below his clavicle. For the rest of his body, he wore simple light-colored pants that had belts wrapped around the thigh and lower calfs on top of a pair of black boots.

"Kyouka has already shown Mard Geer what the boy can do. His power alone is almost as strong as the rest of you, if given the right amount of time to control it. He might not be as strong as Master E.N.D… But his curse will suffice for our upcoming plans." The _Underworld King (Meiō)_ clarified calmly as he walked towards the structure at the center of the room. Also, in his grasps, Mard Geer also carried a medium tattered tone with the letters _E.N.D _inscribed on it.

"Now then, let us commence the orientation of our newest member, Luklab." Mard Geer stated as the others stepped back to the walls of the room. Kyouka and Luklab remained at the center of the room when Mard Geer turned back around.

"By stepping forward now, you will have pledged your allegiance to our guild, Tartarus, and you would have created the pact to be resurrected in Hell's Core if you die. However, this also means that you are to follow the rules of our guild and if you break those rules, you will be killed. But as fellow demons created by Zeref-sama, I hope that any treachery shouldn't come to pass."

Luklab remained silent throughout the second-in command's speech. But nevertheless, he understood the rules laid out to him and slowly nodded his head in agreement. Mard Geer's smirk grew as the former beckoned the younger demon to step forth. Luklab briefly turned towards Kyouka before approaching the _Underworld King_ once he saw the she-demon nod her head.

Once the younger demon was at arm's length from Mard Geer, the latter lifted his right arm and placed his hand on the former's shoulder.

"Now that you've stepped forth, I shall now give you your title as one of our new _Demon Gates_. From this day forth, you'll be known as Luklab: _The_ _Ghastly Celestial (Seizetsu Tentai)_."

* * *

Two weeks had passed since the events that occurred in the _Land of Waves (Kuni no Nami)._ Tazuna and his men were able to complete the bridge's construction and they celebrated jovially for being able to regain control of their homelands. Once the commotion had begun to settle down, Naruto and Kakashi's groups took the bodies of Haku and Zabuza somewhere deep in the forest to bury. Everyone paid some kind of prayer that the two would rest in peace, especially Naruto who declared that he'll change the way shinobis and wizards think of one and another. And now, it was time for Kakashi's and Naruto's group to finally depart the land since their job was complete there.

"It was thanks to you all that we were able to finish the bridge. But… it's going to be sad, seeing all of our heroes off like this." Tazuna solemnly stated while Inari was trying not to tear up.

"It was no problem, Tazuna-san. But we must thank you as well for everything you have lent us during our stay." Kakashi thanked the bridge builder while Natsu cheekily grinned with everyone else watching with various emotions.

Naruto noticed Inari was beginning to cry again and couldn't help but grin amusingly at the boy's attempt to stay strong.

"Daijoubu, Inari. We'll come back and visit someday, just you wait!" Naruto said with his usual vigor. Wendy nodded her head in agreement while Jellal shook his head with amusement at Naruto's declaration.

"You…" Inari shakily said while trying to stay strong in front of Naruto. "better keep that promise, you hear?!"

Naruto and Inari continued to stare at each other while the others watched the two try to refrain themselves from crying. Noticing that tears were about to fall from his eyes, Naruto quickly wiped them away as he smiled once more.

"Inari; you're sad, right? It's okay to cry at times like this!" Inari became shocked at the blonde's declaration, causing him to stop whimpering in the process. Not falling for the blonde's attempt to let him cry first, Inari then shouted out.

"I'm not going to cry! But Naruto… You can cry though if you want to!"

Naruto suddenly turned away from Inari while Wendy, Jellal, and Sayla (to an extent) watched the blonde carefully.

"Fine… See ya later."

Inari sadly watched Naruto walk away from the group, tearing up again in the process. The others began to follow Naruto while Jellal and Sakura saw the blonde's crying and sensed Inari was crying as well.

"_For crying out loud, they're just like twins…._" Sakura thought to herself while Jellal could only awkwardly smile at the commotion.

Tazuna, Inari, Giichi, and Tsunami watch the two groups get farther and farther away while they heard the various comments the kids were making at each other. Tazuna smiled fondly of how the words and actions of one boy was able to change his grandson for the greater good.

"That boy, Naruto… His actions changed Inari's heart. And Inari's heart changed the people's heart… Naruto gave us a bridge to 'hope' called courage…"

"Say Tazuna." The old bridge builder turned his head towards his co-worker when he spoke. "Now that we completed the bridge, don't you think we should give it a name?"

"A name…" Tazuna rubbed his chin in a pondering manner for any ideas for a name. Fortunately, an answer came into mind. "Actually yeah… I have a super name for the bridge."

"Oh yeah, what is it?!" Giichi asked eagerly while Tazuna and his family continue to watch their savoirs get farther and farther away. But Tazuna had his eyes focused on the back of a certain blonde, considering that he was the main participant of their liberation.

"How about… _The Great Naruto Bridge_?"

"That's actually a little eccentric... but are you sure you want to use that name?" Giichi asked his co-worker who looked affirmed about his naming choice.

"Yeah; after all, this name is the hope that ensures that this bridge will never crumble… and I know for sure, that one day, it become a super famous bridge whose name... is famous throughout the world…"

* * *

"Awww… Do we really have to part ways now? You guys could just come with us…"

"It's appreciated, Natsu," The whiskered blonde reassured the pink-haired _Dragon Slayer_, who was adamant about Naruto and the others staying with them. "But as much as we would want to, I don't think we will be able to because we have something that we want to do ourselves.."

Natsu scoffed and turned his head away in response to Naruto's reason for not coming along. That was until Sakura walked up to him from behind and began to give him a painful noogie.

"Natsu, give a rest already! If they don't want to join yet, then don't force them to!"

Mostly everyone in the area laughed or giggle in amusement at Natsu's misery. Once Sakura let go of Natsu after a couple of seconds, letting the boy rub his head, she then turned her attention towards Sayla. The she-demon still had that 'ridiculous' cloth wrapped around her head to conceal her horns. But that wasn't what Sakura wanted to speak about at the moment. No, there was something else that she need to say to Sayla before they took their separate paths.

"Ano… Sayla, right?" The she-demon turned her gaze towards the pink-haired girl before while it drew the attention of everyone else. Sakura looked like she was confident but Sayla saw her true feelings, inside of her eyes. "Listen… Um.. I know that I might've been a little harsh… and judgmental the other night… But I want to apologize for all of the brash things I've said!"

Sayla's eyes widen in shock at the girl's sudden apology and she knew that she wasn't the only one. Naruto and Jellal raised an eyebrow in puzzlement while Wendy tilted her head to the left in a cute manner. Sasuke turned his head away nonchalantly while Kakashi just kept his eyes on the two girls in case things go out of hand.

"I know that there's no plausible excuse to pardon the way I spoke to you that night. I was caught off-guard with what you have concealed below the cloth. And because of that, I acted rashly and accused Naruto of being something that he isn't."

"But now I know that Naruto isn't what I thought to be… and you're not exactly what I thought you to be as well." The whiskered blonde turned to Sayla for a brief second before returning his gaze towards Sakura. "So… after everything that occurred during the bridge… can you… Can you forgive me for saying those things?"

Sayla eventually regained her stoic expression as she turned her eyes towards the ground. In the midst of shifting her gaze, the she-demon noticed the pink-haired girl tense up at her silence. She didn't know what to think and what to say at this sudden apology. Sure, Sayla felt anger at Sakura for impeaching Naruto with a preposterous claim. But now that the construction of the bridge was completed, she couldn't bring herself to fully hate Sakura but couldn't forgive her yet.

"I know that this was sudden… But if you can't bring yourself to forgive me… Then it's fi-"

"It's… okay. You don't have to apologize anymore." The pink-haired girl stopped speaking as she stared at the she-demon in surprise. "However... I still can't forgive you for coming to rash conclusions like you did before.

Sakura became sadden at the blunt but truthful words Sayla was telling her at. She too began to look at the ground when Sayla had stop speaking. Everyone but Sasuke was now watching in anticipation at what was going to happen. Silence crept into the atmosphere as Sakura was worriedly waiting for anything else Sayla had to say.

"Demo… Arigatou... for apologizing. I appreciate it..." Sakura quickly looked up to Sayla who was now sporting a small smile. Seeing that the she-demon was grateful for the apology, the pink-haired girl couldn't help but smile as well. Naruto, Natsu, Wendy, and Jellal smiled at the end result while Kakashi let out a relieved sigh.

Sakura then ran up to Sayla and held both of her hands in hers, catching the she-demon by surprise.

"Arigatou, Sayla. I know you haven't forgiven me yet, but I hope that we can still be friends though, if that's alright with you. After all, you just can't have one friend who's a complete fool like Naruto is, for instance."

"Oi! I take completely offense to that!" Naruto shouted in complaint but Jellal and Wendy could hear the amusement in his voice. But for everyone else except for Sasuke, they either laughed or chuckled at Naruto's shenanigans, much to his dismay.

"Alright, I think we already said what we need to say. It's time that we report back to Makarov-dono now; I bet everyone is worried right now."

"Hmph. About time…" Sasuke muttered as he began to continue walking, much to the other's expense. Except for Sakura however,

"Sasuke-kun! Wait up, you still haven't answered if you want to go out for food later on!" Sakura shouted as she released Sayla's hands and began chasing after Sasuke. Everyone watched the two walking/running with either dumbfounded or bored expressions.

"Well… it looks like Sakura-san will be hooked onto Sasuke for quite some time, huh?" Jellal said in an awkward manner while Naruto turned towards him in disbelief.

"Are you kidding me?! I think 'hooked onto' is the last thing you want to describe her fangirl-like obsession!"

"Hmph… As if you should really care about Sakura and Sasuke." Natsu commented as he turned towards Naruto with his usual grin. "Right now, you and me are fighting right now-"

"Nope! You and I already had many opportunities of fighting already! It's about time that we really need to get going…"

"But-"

"Now Natsu…" The masked shinobi managed to say, interrupting the young _Dragon Slayer_ in the process. "We need to get going now. Otherwise who knows what Erza would do if she finds out we came back late?"

Everyone silently laughed at Natsu's pained expression at the moment. Naruto and the others didn't know who this Erza was; but she must've be one threatening person if her name managed to keep Natsu quiet. Seeing that the young wizard wasn't going to argue anymore, Kakashi began walking after Sakura and Sasuke. Natsu noticed this soon after and hastily ran after them until Kakashi stopped in his tracks.

"Nande, Masked Sensei? Why did you just stopped?

Kakashi brushed Natsu's nickname for him while he turned to look at Naruto once more. The blonde noticed the masked shinobi's gaze towards him and raised an eyebrow, waiting for an answer. The masked shinobi didn't respond but when the others noticed his eye-smile, the others became curious at what he was thinking.

"_Minato-sensei… Kushina-san… Are you watching right now? Your son… I know for sure now, he'll grow up to be one of the people who'll lead the wizards and shinobis into an era of peace."_

Relishing the thought in his mind, Kakashi turned back around as he resumed walking again with Natsu following.

"I wonder what was that all about?" The blonde questioned out loud while Jellal shrugged his shoulders in response. Wendy grabbed one of the blonde's hands with hers as she smiled at him when he looked down. Naruto smiled back as they along with Jellal and Sayla watch the other group get farther and farther away before they moved as well.

* * *

Rain fell onto the ground rapidly as everything started to become soaked from the raindrop. But this didn't seem to affect the two passerbys who're trending through the rain casually. There was a height difference between the two of them but they seem to wore similar looking attire. Covering their bodies was a long black robe that went down to their ankles while red clouds decorated the fabric. They also had long white leg warmers over their grayish trousers and similar colored open-foot sandals. In addition, they also wore large straw hats with bells tied at the rims to cover their heads from the rain.

The two men continued to trek through the rain while heading towards a cavern just a few meters away. Once the men managed to get closer to the cave, the taller man noticed something strange when the rain started to slow down, as if it was crying.

"... It would seem like the sky's now mourning Zabuza's loss…" The taller man commented while the shorter one stopped walking in response, listening. "Frankly, I don't really care that much about one of the Seven Swordsman from the previous generation or the current. But when it came to overall power, the previous generation was probably the strongest of them all."

"Was this coming from a man who killed his own teacher to acquired his sword?" The other man stated while the taller one chuckled amusingly at the remark.

"Well, he did basically taught me everything that I know today. Including the one rule that he himself had ignored in the first place: 'No matter what, never leak out any sort of important information to the enemy'." The taller man clarified to his partner as he smirked reminiscently about his former teacher. "So I just followed the rules he taught me and killed him in order to prevent him from leaking even more information."

The other man became silent as he resume walking, entering the cave. The taller man soon followed after him and took off his straw hat once he entered the cave. With the hat tooken off, it now revealed what the man's face looked like. His skin was an unnatural pale-blue and his face almost looked fish-like to an extent. His blue hair was spiked up while he wore a headband over his forehead with a crossed out symbol on it.

Just as the two of them traveled deeper into the cave, a holographic figure appeared in front of them. The majority of his appearance was concealed by darkness but the figure had the same cloud-pattern robes just like the men. What really made him stand out from them were the ripple-patterns that appeared in his eyes.

"It's been quite some time since we've seen each other, Leader-sama." The taller man greeted the figure in a casual manner while his partner remained silent at his presence.

"Indeed it has been, Kisame. Itachi. I trust that you were able to locate any more of them?"

"I'm afraid that we weren't able to acquire any news on the people that we seek. It's almost as if that our targets are concealing their true nature at will." The shorter man replied to their leader who closed his eyes to process the newfound information in his head. Kisame and his partner watched their leader ponder on the situation when he reopened his eyes a few seconds later.

"Very well. Continue on the search for them; _they _are necessary if we want to achieve peace."

The image of the man disappeared, leaving Kisame and Itachi alone in the bare cavern. The shark-like man smirked upon registering the assignment in his mind.

"Well, it would seem that we have to keep on searching, eh Itachi? Think your _Sharingan_ is fully charged by now?"

The shorter man looked up towards the upper parts of the cavern stoically. Tilting his hat upward, the man's eyes are fully revealed to be just like Kakashi's left eye. But unlike the masked shinobi's, Itachi's _Sharingan_ seem to be darker in color, almost like it was unnatural by nature.

"My _Sharingan_'s alright now. I should be able to detect those people once we get a clue on what they look like." Itachi said calmly while in his mind, he was thinking of something completely different. Something that related to an incident that happened some time ago.

"_I wonder…. How strong have you become now… Sasuke…_"

* * *

It was a strenuous journey at times for the past two weeks, but Naruto and the others weren't too affected by it. In fact, there were some instances on their journey that they enjoyed in that time. Especially since they mostly had Naruto involved in most of those occurrences. Needless to say, Naruto laughed them all off since it made Wendy and Jellal laugh as well. Sayla, on the other hand, didn't exactly find these incident funny enough to laugh at. But it was still intriguing for her to see Naruto actually struggle with calming down an angry mother bear.

Now, as the group trekked through a dirt trail on a grassy plain, Wendy was trying to get Sayla to display more emotions. Naruto and Jellal walked a few inches behind the two as they smiled at Wendy's attempt to help the she-demon open up. Sadly, the she-demon still displayed her usual expression and only nodded back to Wendy's suggestions, much to the younger girl's dismay. Wendy instantly recovered as she once more tries to get Sayla to open up; that was until, Naruto suddenly felt something strange in the air.

The whiskered blonde couldn't figure out why, but he could tell that there was something strange with the ethernano in the air. But what got him confused was why Jellal was now looking at the sky like he just sensed impending danger.

"This sensation… That's got to be _Anima_!" Jellal muttered to himself once he stopped in his tracks. Naruto looked at the tattooed boy in puzzlement when he heard the boy say that. Wendy and Sayla noticed the boys have stopped walking and were curious on why they did.

"Ano, Jellal? What happened? And what is this _Anima_ you shouted about?" Wendy asked curiously like any young child would to anyone. Jellal snapped out of his trance and noticed everyone was now staring at him with various expressions. Even though he can just reassure Wendy with a simple lie, Jellal knew it was going to be complicated to convince Naruto and Sayla especially otherwise.

"It's… It's nothing. Don't worry, I'm sure I mistaken something in the air with another matter entirely."

While the young girl paid no mind to the answer and kept on walking with Sayla, Jellal saw the questioning look on Naruto's eyes. Like he predicted, Naruto wasn't going to fall for the bluff and knew something was up. But the blonde didn't say anything about it and just resumed walking to catch up to the girls.

A few hours later, night had fallen in a moderate forest the group stopped at. Wendy had fallen asleep in the sleeping bag Jellal laid out for her while he remained awake. Naruto and Sayla were also still waking as they, along with Jellal, watched the campfire flicker continuously through the night. But the tattooed boy knew what the two were really thinking about as now was the perfect time to ask him.

"Alright Jellal. What was the big deal a while ago? What's this _Anima _you muttered about before?" The tattooed boy closed his eyes in thought while Naruto kept his eyes on the boy sitting in front of him. Jellal sighed reluctantly as he reopened his eyes.

"Guess that I really can't hide anything from you, huh?" Naruto questionally raised an eyebrow at Jellal but kept silent as Jellal continued to speak. "I didn't want to get you guys involved in this but… The _Anima_… It's the main reason why I decided to travel from my homeland towards Earthland."

"Your homelands?" Naruto questioned the tattooed boy until something clicked into his mind all of a sudden. "Wait a minute. Kurama told me something in his letter that your ethernano is oddly different compared to ours. Because now that I think about it, I can sense ethernano only in your staff and not you yourself. Jellal… what exactly are you?"

Sayla remained silent as she watched the commotion between Jellal and Naruto. The she-demon might've only known the both of them for a short period of time. But as of right now, she couldn't help but also feel some curiosity about what Jellal could be hiding from them. The aforementioned boy turned his gaze from Naruto to Sayla and back as he exhaled calmly to catch his breath.

"I'm just a human like you and Wendy... It's true that unlike you two, I don't have any ethernano nor do I have any Chakra. The reason why my staff is the only thing on me with ethernano is because: in my homelands, humans don't have ethernano inside their bodies. And unlike Earthland, Edolas is weak with ethernano and so, we humans cannot absorb it whatsoever."

"And so, what I'm trying to say is that… Naruto, Edolas isn't located in Earthland nor am I from here. I am from a completely different world that co-exists with Earthland."

Silence consumed the atmosphere as Naruto stare at Jellal in complete and utter shock after hearing the boy's revelation. Sayla too was surprised but due to years of suffering and biased judgment, she was capable of hiding her shock too easily. Naruto, however though, was another story entirely.

"Chotto matte, Jellal. As much as I would want to believe you and all, how can we know you're telling the truth as of right now?"

Jellal remained silent when Naruto asked him that question. Seeing that the blonde was still looking at him for answers, the tattoo-eyed boy sighed as he stood up from his sit. Naruto and Sayla watched Jellal motion his arms in some kind of incanting pose and exclaimed as if he was casting a spell. It was then that Naruto sensed no ethernano was gathering before Jellal because there wasn't any inside him to begin with.

"So this is what Kurama was trying to tell me about you… He knew you weren't from here at all…" Naruto gasped with realization about Kurama's cryptic message of Jellal. Jellal sat back down once he knew that Naruto was beginning to believe in his words, "So if what you're saying is true… Then why are you even here to begin with?"

"... It's because…" Jellal began to speak but hesitated at the last second. The blonde saw the distressed look on Jellal when the latter stopped speaking. Despite not knowing what Jellal's trying to tell them, Naruto knew that it was something personal and it couldn't be spilled out easily. He got up from his seat and approached Jellal as he placed a hand on the boy's shoulder, catching his attention. Jellal saw the reassurance in Naruto's eyes and was starting to feel comfortable in the awkward silence. The tattoo-eyed boy felt ready to speak once more as he stared at Naruto with resolved eyes.

"The reason that I'm now here at Earthland… is because the King of Edolas, Faust, has been recently using the _Anima_ to steal the vast amount of ethernano in Earthland in order to replenish our supply of ethernano."

"But you already said that Edolas has little to ethernano as of this moment right?" Naruto asked the tattoo-eyed boy. "So then; why are you stopping this king from taking it from Earthland then?"

"It's because if he takes too much ethernano from here, it is safe to assume Earthland will eventually be sucked into the parallel world and any remains of our home will become a wasteland, is that correct?"

Naruto and Jellal turned their gazes towards Sayla as she watched the two from afar. Jellal closed his eyes for a few seconds before nodding in response.

"Yeah… And it isn't just that. King Faust and his people are becoming more desperate to survive over there with the bits of ethernano they have left. He might've be doing it for the right cause but as of this moment… I'm afraid he has gotten mad with power in order to replenish his kingdom."

Naruto and Sayla listened intently to Jellal's words as the former noticed a slight hint of fondness when Jellal spoke about King Faust. He might be wrong but there was only one way to confirm his suspicion.

"Jellal, just… who is this Faust guy to you? You almost speak of him as if he was your-"

"It's true… Naruto, I am the Prince of Edolas. I'm King Faust's son."

Naruto swiftly backed away in shock when Jellal had blantly but sadly revealed his real identity. Sayla raised an eyebrow at Naruto's actions just now but turned her attention back to Jellal once Naruto calmed down.

"So… the reason why you're here… is to stop your father from stealing anymore ethernano by closing the _Animas_ that appear here, right?"

"Yes… That's the reason why I'm here."

Silence took over the atmosphere once again as the only noise that could be heard was the campfire flickering to stay alit. Naruto and Jellal looked at their feet with different thoughts circling through their heads. Sayla watched the two stare at the ground they stood as she heard Wendy slightly shift in her sleep. The boys turned their gazes towards Wendy when Naruto realized that with the appearance of the _Anima_ earlier meant one thing.

"You're going to look for the _Animas_ by yourself, aren't you?" Naruto spoke stoically as Jellal slightly flinched at the blonde's accusing question. Knowing the blonde wasn't going to be too happy about the revelation, Jellal just decided to answer truthfully.

"Yes… I have to, Naruto. My father is the one responsible for using them and I'm the only one who can close them."

"But then what about us?! What about Wendy?!" Naruto shouted loudly while Jellal shamefully closed his eyes as he allowed Naruto to vent his anger. It was a miracle on how Wendy was able to sleep through Naruto's yelling. The whiskered blonde eventually calmed down as he took in deep breaths and observed Jellal's movements. Jellal noticed that Naruto had stopped shouting and opened his eyes to see that he was now waiting for a response.

"It isn't like I didn't enjoy our time traveling together and helping Inari and everyone back at the _Land of Waves (Nami no Kuni)_. You're my friends; the very first ones that I managed to have ever since Faust went mad with obsession. I know what I'm about to do is selfish, I'm aware of that. But I must do this task alone. I'm the only one right now who can close off the _Animas_ and as the king's son, this is a task that I must carry on my own shoulders alone."

"Jellal, I can understand to a degree that only you have the power to stop these _Animas_ from completely absorbing this land. But then, who'll explain everything to Wendy-"

"Which is why, Naruto… " Jellal said solemnly as he sadly smiled and turned his gaze towards the ground, "I want you to be the one who watches over Wendy as of this moment."

Naruto's eyes widened in shock when he registered Jellal's last few words into his head. Sayla watched Naruto lower his head while she and Jellal observed what the blonde was going to do now. Naruto was processing everything that Jellal had confessed just now and couldn't help but wonder…

"Is it really alright to leave Wendy to me? I'm not saying that I won't do it… It's just-"

"I know you can do it, Naruto. You're my friend, and I know how capable you are when it comes to protecting the ones you care about. Of course, there are times where you'll act brashly because there's something you don't know about. But… you have Sayla with you in those times, am I right?"

Naruto turned his gaze from Jellal towards Sayla as the she-demon stared back at him. Her expression still had that stoic stare in her eyes but as Naruto continued to gaze at her, he saw some form of reluctance and embarrassment in her eyes. After gazing into each other's eyes for what seemed to be a long time, Sayla slowly nodded in agreement as she turned her eyes away from Naruto. The boys smiled at her response as Naruto turned his attention back to Jellal while restraining his smile to a straight face.

"So… Will you take custody of Wendy?" Jellal asked one more time as Naruto kept a straight face once Jellal finishing speaking. After a few seconds of silence homing in the air, Naruto's scowl began to twitch as he couldn't resist smiling anymore so he just smiled as he replied confidently.

"If this is what you need to do, then yeah. I'll watch over Wendy for you from here on out!"

Jellal's smile widened as he nodded in agreement at Naruto's response. The tattoo-eyed boy stood up from his spot as he walked to Wendy and kneeled next to her sleeping form. Jellal gently rubbed her soft blue hair while Naruto and Sayla watch the interaction intently.

"Ne Wendy… I know that you'll be heartbroken when you hear that I'll be leaving. But I've enjoyed everything that we did while we traveled together. We've met some incredible people, haven't we? From Naruto, Kakashi-san, Guy-san, Ichiro-dono, Atsuko-san, Sayla, and those kids from Fairy Tail." Jellal's eyes softened when Wendy turned her body to face Jellal, not knowing that it would be the last time for her to see him. "Things will probably be rough from here on out, but just know that… I might not be there to help you… But I'll always be with you, just like Naruto and Sayla."

Jellal lifted his hand off of Wendy's head as he then began to walk away from the little girl. The boy picked up his backpack and staff and started to head towards the inner depths of the forest surrounding the group. Before he could enter through, the tattoo-eyed boy heard Naruto called out to him; so he turned around to see Naruto grinning widely at him. The whiskered blonde then lifted his right hand and gave Jellal a thumbs-up, making Sayla tilt her head curiously at the blonde's actions. Jellal chuckled at Naruto's gesture before turning back around and resuming walking, but he too gave a thumbs-up to the blonde before he walked further into the depths of the forest, leaving Wendy in Naruto's and Sayla's care.

* * *

It was a peaceful morning like usual as an old man looked out of a window to see the sun rising towards the sky. He could hear the birds chirping not too far away, along with the crickets and grasshoppers. The old man got up from his spot as he stretched out his back and limbs while looking at the deserted room he occupied. The man's gaze softened once he took a look around the room; remembering that it wasn't the only thing that was deserted. The man sighed in reminiscent and remorse when he suddenly felt an abundance of ethernano approaching the village.

He was shocked at not only the vast amount of it but he was more concerned with the feeling it was emitting. It definitely felt like something that shouldn't belong to a normal human at all. He couldn't put his finger on it but for some reason, the strange ethernano almost remained him of someone he hadn't encountered since long ago. Curiosity got to the best of him so the man decided to head towards the door to check out where the source was coming from.

The short elder opened the door and stepped outside of the deserted establishment. He looked left and right before he took a few steps forward to see Naruto's group approaching from the corner of his eye. The old man was shocked to say the least to see not only three children traveling alone; but the source of the abnormal ethernano he sensed was coming from the whiskered blonde. The wise elder couldn't help but smile nostalgically when he spotted little Wendy sleeping on Naruto's back as the latter carried her.

"Etto… What happened to this place? It looks completely like one of those deserted towns I've seen in Kurama's storybooks…" Naruto commented while he observed the destroyed village before turning his attention towards Wendy, "I was hoping that this place was a guild at the very least… It would've at least lighten up Wendy's mood after learning Jellal left us…"

Sayla glanced briefly at a couple of ruined houses before she noticed someone approaching them. Seeing the figure getting closer, the she-demon gently tugged on Naruto's short sleeve while avoiding waking up Wendy.

"What's up, Sayla?" Naruto asked the she-demon when she slowly pointed in front of them. Naruto turned his gaze towards the direction Sayla was pointing and saw the old man now standing a few feet away from them.

"My, my. It's been a long time since travelers have found themselves here." The old man said in a friendly manner, causing Naruto and Sayla to stare at him questionably, "So what exactly brings you kids here?"

The two of them observed the elderly man for any signs of suspicions due to him being the only one they sensed in the area. But once they took a closer observation, they could see no hostility from the old hermit. Despite the fact he dons old native attire and a strange tattoo on his forehead, they could see the gentleness and hospitality in his eyes. For Naruto though, something about the elder threw him off for a second; the whiskered blonde couldn't put his finger around it. Although, it could be either from the strange sensation he was getting from the hermit or the fact he could see some regret and remorse in the old man.

"... Who exactly are you, Jiji?" Naruto plainly asked the old hermit, causing the latter to laugh in amusement.

"A cheeky one, aren't you? Well… I'm just living the rest of his days in this old establishment… But I am known as Roubaul." The old man introduced himself while Sayla narrowed her eyes in suspicion at the newly-introduced Roubaul.

"May I ask as to who you are, young man?" Naruto tilted his head when the old hermit introduced himself. But the blonde shook that aside and just decided to introduce himself as well.

"My name's Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki." Naruto widely smiled after speaking as he turned his head around to introduce Wendy, "And this is Wendy."

Roubaul chuckled in amusement at the blonde's upbeat personality when he spoke. The hermit then turned his attention towards Sayla who's still staring at him suspiciously. Naruto let out a sigh as he walked up to the she-demon and lightly tapped one of her ankles with his foot, catching her attention.

"Don't worry about it too much. Just introduce yourself to him." The whiskered blonde spoke in a reassuring manner, catching Roubaul's interest.

Even though Sayla still wore the large cloth around her horns, the old hermit knew what the she-demon was once he took a closer look at her magic power. Nevertheless, Roubaul still retained a friendly smile to Sayla so she could feel more comfortable speaking instead of suspecting him like a danger hazard.

"... Sayla…" The she-demon reluctantly spoke after feeling Naruto and Roubaul's gazes softened for her sake. Although this didn't stop her from turning to Naruto and stare at him with her usual stoic face afterwards. Naruto chuckled awkwardly and slightly backed away from Sayla because he could see her annoyance and embarrassment in her eyes.

Roubaul slightly laughed amusingly at the interaction between the two, catching their attention once more.

"Hahahahaha… The blessings of being young…" Roubaul commented while smirking slyly at the two, "The two of you seem to be very close to each other; being able to communicate with each other like that."

Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion at the old man's words while his face shifted to match the exact feeling. Sayla stared at Roubaul questionally which caused the latter to laugh even more.

"O-Oi! Jiji! What exactly is funny that I'm not getting right now, dattebayo!?" Naruto shouted irritatedly when Roubaul continued to laugh at their cluelessness to his remark. Unfortunately, Naruto's shout was loud enough for Wendy to start lightly shuffle in Naruto's grasps, catching his attention.

"Oh, Wendy… Sorry about that… " Naruto spoke softly while Wendy lifted her head as she slowly opened her tired eyes. Upon spotting Naruto, the groggy little girl turned from the blonde and towards Sayla, but even then; she couldn't see Jellal anywhere near them. It was around then that the events from the morning caught up to the poor girl.

"So it's true… Jellal really did left us behind…" Wendy spoke sadly as tears were starting to emerge from her eyes. Roubaul noticed the girl's behavior and couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl's current mood. The old man also noticed Naruto slightly panicking when he saw the tears appearing. Within a few seconds, Naruto regained his composure as he bent down on his knees to let Wendy off of his back.

"Yeah… Jellal really left." Naruto said solemnly after Wendy got off of his back. The blonde then turned around towards the girl and placed both of his hands on her shoulders, "But it doesn't mean you weren't anything to him or a burden whatsoever. He didn't want to part ways with us but there was something he needed to attend to. Something that involves the state of this land and everyone living in it."

Wendy stopped crying as she slowly processed everything Naruto just told her and looked up to the whiskered blonde. Naruto noticed that he had her attention now so he lifted his hands off of her shoulders but then scuffled her hair lightly, catching her off-guard.

"Mou Naruto-san!" The little girl complained while she playfully tried to get the blonde's hand off of her head.

"Just remember… that no matter where Jellal is now, he'll always be your friend; even if he isn't here. But I know we'll see him someday… We just have to be patient, dattebayo."

Wendy stopped struggling and looked up to Naruto's gaze once more. This time however, she nodded her head contentedly and smiled widely as she did so. Naruto chuckled a little and lifted his hand off of the girl's head as she walked around Naruto and saw the deserted village in front of them.

"Demo Naruto-san. What about the guild that you said would be around here?" Wendy asked innocently, causing Naruto to internally trembled in hesitation to respond.

"Well, um, Wendy… You see…" Naruto tried to think of an excuse out of the fib he made up to calm down Wendy in the morning. Sayla looked at the blonde with her usual expression, but she too was curious as to how Naruto will get himself out of his predicament. It was around then that Roubaul jumped in the conversation, saving Naruto at a convenient time.

"Wh-Why my dear, this village really is a guild! A guild filled with wonderful wizards!" The old man fibbed, catching Wendy's attention while surprising Naruto greatly. Roubaul might've not known fully what was going on between the three of them; but he saw in Naruto's eyes that he had a responsibility to ensure Wendy's happiness now. From what the old man could tell, Naruto's fib about a guild being here was just one way for Wendy to be able to move on and continue for this Jellal's sake. Which is why Roubaul decided to help these three and joined in the blonde's responsibility of taking care of Wendy. After all, he couldn't really turn down someone who had such confidence and selflessness in his soul.

"Really!?" Roubaul saw the excitement and curiosity in Wendy's eyes once she heard the news. Although, the old man knew that Naruto and Sayla weren't going to fall for the obvious bluff. But nevertheless, the blonde saw what the old man was doing and nodded his head to encourage the man to keep going.

"Yes indeed. But you're going to have to wait for a little bit if you want to meet the others. They're very tired from all of the work that they had to do in order to keep this place going."

Roubaul stretched out a hand towards Wendy as he gently smiled at the little girl to take it.

"So how about all of us go to my place and see what we can do while we wait for the others to wake up?"

Wendy looked towards Naruto and Sayla, silently asking them permission if it was alright to go with Roubaul. Even though Naruto knew that she was going to find out the truth about this place, this was the only way the blonde could keep Wendy's mind off of Jellal's sudden departure. Naruto went with the act and nodded his head in confirmation, causing the young girl to smile happily at Naruto's answer.

The young girl then ran up to Roubaul as he chuckled in amusement at the girl pulling him along when she got close. Naruto smiled guiltily at the sight while Sayla watched for a brief second before turning back towards Naruto.

"Are you sure you really want to do this? You know you didn't have to lie if you wanted Wendy to be happy." The she-demon asked Naruto curiously as the blonde let out a sigh of relief once the two were out of earshot.

"I know it isn't the best idea to do… But for some reason, seeing the old man just going along with it now… I got no choice now. I started it and I might as well see to it towards the end, dattebayo."

Naruto began walking to catch up to Wendy and Roubaul as Sayla continued to watch them heading towards one of the bigger huts in the head of the village. Little did Wendy notice, Roubaul was amplifying his magic onto the surrounding area, refurbishing the deserted huts and changing the biggest one into a cat-shaped hut, much to Naruto's utter shock. But it didn't really matter for now as Wendy was looking ahead towards the hut with excitement of the next step towards the unseen future.

Naruto could sense that Sayla was still standing at the entrance of the village. He turned his head slightly to look at her and asked with his usual energy,

"Well, the building isn't going to come over there. Come on, let's go see what this place has to offer now!"

Even though Naruto didn't really need to tell Sayla that, it was starting to be somewhat amusing for her to hear Naruto say such things. After a few seconds have passed, Sayla started to make her way towards the cat-shaped hut as Naruto waited in the exact spot he stopped for her to catch up. Once she made it to Naruto, he smiled slyly as he began to pull her with him as he resume walking, surprising her. This might've not been the best idea Naruto has come up with, but seeing how someone else also wanted Wendy to be happy as well, the she-demon mentally decided to help out as well.

Especially since, Sayla figured out that this could be the way for her to learn more about interacting as an equal. It was also a way for her; to be able to truly understand this incomprehensible feeling that was developing inside her, when it came towards Naruto himself.

* * *

_End of Chapter_

**... I don't even have words to say about this really late update. But I guess the abridged version: Tons of work I needed to catch up on for university, my work progress kind of dimmed down because of a family member dying a week before Christmas, and the holiday break kind of distracted me from this story. Nevertheless, as the saying goes, it's better late than never. Although, I could feel that this chapter may not live up to the expectations I've set for it. But putting the depressing stuff aside, Happy late New Years everyone! I hope you're enjoying your early 2016s and your breaks before you all go back to school. **

**On a story's note, this officially closes the gap for Part 1 and the story'll now go onto the second part on the next update.**

**Thank you for reading and please leave a review.**


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